London Living Wage by disability

Marina Ahmad: Can you provide a breakdown of Londoners who have a disability and are in receipt of the London Living Wage, per year since 2012?

The Mayor: The percentage and number of jobs that are paid below the London Living Wage, broken down by disability status, is outlined in the below table. This is based on Annual Survey Hours and Earnings data which is only available from 2016 to 2020.
Disability status
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
Identify as living with a disability or long-term health condition
19.6
20.0
25.8
26.0
25.0
Do not identify as living with a disability or long-term health condition
12.1
13.4
15.2
19.2
15.3
Source: Living Wage Foundation analysis of Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings and Labour Force Survey

Pride In London Community Advisory Board

Emma Best: In May 2021, following the immediate resignation of the entire Pride in London community advisory board, the organisation released a statement apologising ‘to the community and those persons who have experienced racism, bullying or any other form of discrimination whilst volunteering with us, as well as our shortfalls in acting swiftly to recognise and resolve these issues’.

A mayoral spokesperson issued a statement in response advising, ‘The Mayor is committed to tackling all forms of racism, inequality and discrimination. His team is working closely with the current organisers, Pride in London, and is clear that the event must represent London’s values of diversity and inclusion, and the LGBTQ+ community’.

The former members of the Community Advisory Board called for the Mayor to conduct an independent investigation into the ‘alarming accounts of marginalisation’ and ‘bullying of volunteers by senior individuals’. Will you commit to this?

The Mayor: I am committed to tackling racism and inequalities in all its forms and I take any allegations of this nature extremely seriously. Following these abhorrent bullying allegations and behaviour in March 2021, GLA officers met with Pride in London to discuss these claims and to make clear our expectations as set out in the funding agreement which is in place between the GLA and Pride in London. A new Pride in London board was appointed in May 2021 following a number of resignations from the board of directors.
The goal of our ongoing work with Pride in London's new board is to ensure that during their remaining tenure; transparency, inclusion, and equity are prioritised, as well as regular, effective and respectful communication across the LGBTQ+ community.
My commitment is to ensure that they fulfil their commitments throughout the final year of the funding agreement.

Bus Performance and Delays to Improving Cycling Safety at Holborn Gyratory

Keith Prince: With the recent tragic death of another cyclist at Holborn Gyratory, can you assure me that TfL has not been dragging its heels on improving cycling safety conditions associated with this known ‘death spot’? I ask, because I’ve been made aware of allegations that TfL has rejected all the proposals made so far because of its concerns about these changes’ impact on bus timeliness and reliability.

The Mayor: I was very sorry to hear of the tragic death of Dr Marta Krawiec, who was killed while cycling to work. Every death on London’s streets is one too many and I am committed to eliminating all deaths and serious injuries through the Vision Zero approach.
I asked Transport for London (TfL) officers to urgently meet with the London Borough of (LB) Camden to agree what can be done quickly in the interim to improve safety at the junction ahead of delivering a longer-term solution. As the junction is on Camden’s highway, the borough is leading on these proposals, supported by TfL funding.
A three-stage delivery approach to tackling safety for people cycling through this junction is proposed:
To date, none of these measures have been modelled to assess the impacts on general traffic or the bus network. No option has been rejected, and all options remain under consideration.

Good Growth funded public toilets

Caroline Russell: In March 2021 you said: “my Good Growth investment is creating or refurbishing more than 250 toilet units, including more than 180 which are fully accessible in key locations across London.” Could you provide a list of the toilets that have been refurbished or created to date, including: a) location, b) number at each site, also specifying how many are fully accessible, c) what criteria you are using to define fully accessible, and d) the expected completion date of this good project.

The Mayor: GivingLondoners and visitors the confidence to participate in outdoor social activity and spend time in public spaces is vital. The list attached provides an update on the number and location of toilets refurbished and created through my Good Growth Fund investments.
The list sets out the number of publicly available toilets (302) and the number of accessible toilets (180), which means that they are fully Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliant, as well as the expected completion dates.
I will continue totakea range of actions topromotetheprovision of free, publicly and fully accessible toilets in our city.

The Mayor: 3528 public toilets.pdf

Supporting Pride in Practice

Caroline Russell: Pride in Practice is a programme that strengthens and develops GP practices’ relationship with their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) patients within the local community. Will you promote this programme to encourage take up, in your regular meetings with the leadership ofthe NHS in London?

The Mayor: I remain a strong advocate for the LGBTQ+ community to be able to access the most appropriate local healthcare services in order to meet their needs. Thank you for drawing my attention to the Pride in Practice Programme, which I understand has been piloted in areas across London since 2019 and is currently working with primary care services in Lambeth and Lewisham.
Whilst I do not have responsibility for the deliveryofhealth and care services, Iwill be very happy to discuss the progress and future of this programme at a future meeting with the regional director of NHS London.

Monitoring coronavirus risk

Caroline Russell: How are you continuing to work with all relevant authorities to monitor coronavirus risk in the capital now that restrictions have been lifted?

The Mayor: I meet regularly with Public Health England and the NHS to discuss the ongoing situation, Variants of Concern, the vaccination programme and how health systems are impacted. Data on new infections, hospitalisations and deaths from COVID-19 continue to be actively monitored.
My Deputy Mayor for Fire and Resilience, Fiona Twycross, co-chairs the Strategic Co-ordination Group whose leaders meet weekly to assess both current and future impacts of COVID-19. My officers have contributed to London’s Outbreak Control Plan, which has identified specific risks associated with COVID-19 and the actions that are needed to mitigate and control these.

New homes

Emma Best: Do you believe in working with local communities to get new homes built?

The Mayor: My London Plan and London Housing Strategy place communities at the heart of the new development that is essential for London’s future. Community involvement is key to ensuring London is inclusive and that new development is delivered in line with my vision for Good Growth.
The London Plan sets a new tone and expectation for communities’ role in shaping the places that are important to them. It opens with Objective GG1, requiring those involved in planning and development to encourage early and inclusive engagement with local communities in the development of proposals, policies and area-based strategies.
The Plan also requires engagement and collaboration with communities to inform the development of the planning frameworks that guide development in Opportunity Areas, capable of accommodating significant numbers of new homes.
The Plan requires this high-quality engagement for all of London’s strategic and local areas for regeneration.
Where housing estates are proposed for redevelopment, my London Plan requires engagement with residents to establish the objectives of the estate regeneration before any options are considered, implementing my Good Practice Guide to Estate Regeneration.
This includes a requirement for ballots wherever City Hall funding is to be used to support demolition and rebuild as the chosen option.

Data modelling on coronavirus transmission rates on rail

Caroline Russell: The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) has updated modelling data on coronavirus transmission rates on rail, which has not been made public. Has this data been shared with Transport for London (TfL) to inform your decisions on keeping passengers safe?

The Mayor: Throughout the pandemic, Transport for London (TfL) has regularly liaised with the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) as an important source of information on rail safety-related information, and I understand it has supported, where asked, with information related to the TfL’s response to the pandemic. As regards the RSSB’s decision whether to publish the research modelling it has carried out into the risks of catching Covid-19 on rail transport, I suggest this request is best made to that organisation.
The RSSB model on transmission of the coronavirus is based on one type of rail carriage and a pattern of passenger loadings not directly transferable to the TfL transport network. To keep passengers safe, TfL studies the current scientific data and works across the industry to follow and share in best practice, including working with a number of universities commissioned by the UK Government.
In London, TfL has worked hard to ensure all of its Covid-related risk information is in the public domain, whether that is by publishing risk assessments on its website, the detailed research carried out by University College London’s Institute of Health Ethics into the factors related to bus driver deaths from Covid-19, and with its regular updates on the independent sampling for Covid-19 on the transport network carried out for TfL by Imperial College London.

NHS Fertility Treatment Concerns

Emma Best: Thank you for your response to my question 2021/2821. Will you put on record your concern about NHS fertility treatment as a pertinent health inequality in London and pledge to offer your support for fairer treatment wherever possible?

The Mayor: I share your concerns about this unfair and inequitable postcode lottery in access to NHS fertility treatment, where services do not seem to be universally provided based on the needs of women and families. As I stated in my earlier response, the NHS acknowledges that the provision of IVF treatment varies by geography and depends on local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) policies. I remain committed to eradicating injustice in any area of access to healthcare, though, as you know, I have no direct responsibility for the commissioning or delivery of NHS services. Londoners should, of course, expect to be able to access the healthcare services they need, where and when they need them, regardless of where they live, their background, or their ability to pay for private treatment. I will write to the NHS to establish the current situation in London and to ask what plans they have to tackle the issue of inequity in access to NHS fertility treatment.

Intrusive noise from advertising on public transport

Zack Polanski: Constituents and staff in stations have raised concerns with me about the level of volume and approach used for advertising for the ITV show Love Island on the Underground network. What limits are there on the noise level, repetition of announcements and approach used for promotional activity within Transport for London (TfL) stations?

The Mayor: Themed PA announcements in a station sometimes form part of Transport for London’s (TfL’s) commercial promotion with Love Island.
The approach is to link the commercial promotion to existing TfL customer messages rather than add in new messages. For example, the Love Island campaign supported important behaviour messages such as holding the handrail on escalators. TfL maintains the same repetition and sequencing is unchanged from its normal PA announcements.
The recordings are tested for volume and audibility, and are set at the same levels as existing customer information announcements on the TfL network.

Review of London climate plans after flash floods

Zack Polanski: After recent flash floods caused damage to property and forced Londoners out of their homes, are you now reviewing your climate adaptation work and your London Environment Strategy?

The Mayor: Addressing surface water flood risk is central to my climate adaptation work and the London Environment Strategy. Climate resilience is also part of my Green New Deal programmes, the London Resilience Strategy and the London Risk Register. I keep this under review, including how I engage with key stakeholders.
As covered in MQ2021/3508, I do not have direct powers for flooding which is why, after the recent incidents, I have convened those with flood risk management responsibilities to explore actions to improve incident response and management of flash flooding; and to resolve the strategic leadership gap for London. My officers continue to deliver the aims of my London Environment Strategy. Its strength is its integrated approach to the environment, which remains the best way to address climate adaptation. The strategy supports retrofitting of sustainable drainage systems, producing guidance and implementing strong London plan policies and my programmes have contributed over £19m since 2016 to help London adapt to climate change.
I have also, recently written to Defra Secretary George Eustice, highlighting the need for adequate funding for boroughs to manage surface water flood risk.

Greenwashing

Tony Devenish: What work have you undertaken since your answer to MQ 2020/4777 to protect Londoners on this vital topic?

The Mayor: As I said in my answer to MQ 2020/4777 in December 2020, I have always been clear that my vision for London’s environment must be driven by evidence and successful real world actions. That was the focus of my first term and will, if anything, be even more important in my second term as the need for action grows.
I continue to deliver programmes to go further and faster in pursuit of my net zero by 2030 target. I am introducing the expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone in October and in June I launched England’s first 20 strong double-decker hydrogen bus fleet. I announced £10m of funding through my Green New Deal Fund to support projects including Future Neighbourhoods, Solar Together, Community Energy, bus garage electrification, Better Futures and Advance London. I also secured, with London boroughs, over £160m of government funding to support my ‘Retrofit Revolution’ delivering activities including my Social Housing Retrofit Accelerator, the Innovation Partnership, a Solar Skills programme and further activity through my Warmer Homes programme.

Tourism in London (1)

Marina Ahmad: How many jobs are there in London’s tourism sector currently? How does this compare to before the pandemic?

The Mayor: The tourism sector is not a conventional sector in the ONS statistics as it is defined by consumer characteristics and it is therefore harder to measure. Estimates of tourism employment are provided by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport using the UK-Tourism Satellite Account, with the latest data covering the period October 2019 to September 2020. The bespoke methodology means however that the estimates are not available for individual regions.
For London it is still possible to look at the impacts of the pandemic on jobs in tourism-related industries. There were, for example, 383,000 workforce jobs in the accommodation and food sector in London in March 2021 – a fall of 75,900 or 17 per cent compared to March 2020. This was the largest fall in jobs in London since the start of the pandemic, although it is unclear how much of this can be attributed to tourism.

Tourism in London (2)

Marina Ahmad: Following MQ 2021/3024 in July 2021, has the Government responded to you regarding your request for additional funding to support tourism in London?

The Mayor: The Government has not yet provided a response.
As noted in my earlier response to you, the BEIS Secretary of State confirmed that it is of critical importance to government and the visitor economy that central London recovers quickly. In June, the Government issued a Tourism Recovery Plan emphasising the importance of the return of tourists to London to the UK’s recovery.
25 per cent of the UK’s economic output comes from London, contributing net £38.7 billion to the Treasury before COVID-19. The scale of the challenge facing London remains huge and will continue until the return of international tourism. I am keen to continue to work more closely with Government on London’s tourism recovery.
Together with my Deputy Mayors and officers I will continue to inform government on the successes of the Let’s Do London campaign and request additional funding for the recovery of London’s visitor economy.

UNESCO World Heritage Listing

Tony Devenish: Will you conduct a review to ensure London learns the lessons from Liverpool losing its UNESCO would heritage site listing?

The Mayor: London has taken actions to avoid this in relation to London’s World Heritage Sites (WHS) but it is clearly important to remain vigilant.
At the start of my first term, Westminster WHS was under threat of being placed on the World Heritage in Danger list (this measure was taken for Liverpool in 2012 and is a precursor to a WHS losing its status). There was a UNESCO World Heritage Committee Reactive Monitoring Mission to London in February 2017. I met with mission officials and set out my strong commitment to conservation and the management of London’s World Heritage Sites and London’s heritage in general.
Following this Mission, the World Heritage Committee decided not to place Westminster on the World Heritage in Danger list and made a number of recommendations to avoid it being placed on the ‘in danger list’ in the future. We addressed many of these recommendations through my London Plan which contains clearer and stronger policies to protect London’s World Heritage Sites and ensure that tall buildings do not harm them.
I will continue to monitor any future decisions and recommendations of the World Heritage Committee for London’s four World Heritage Sites and take the necessary steps to protect their status.

London offices

Tony Devenish: Do you agree with the Colliers Report that “ten percent of London offices may be unusable in two years? What are you going to do to help solve this business and green challenge?

The Mayor: The report appears to refer to the poor performance of workplaces against the Government’s Non-Domestic Private Rented Sector Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, which aim to ensure that landlords improve the energy efficiency of the buildings they lease out. Landlords must take responsibility for the impact of their buildings on climate change, and there are a wide range of actions that landlords of F and G rated buildings can carry out to improve the energy performance of their buildings and comply with the regulations.
I support the energy efficiency retrofit of public sector workplaces through my Retrofit Accelerator – Workplaces programme. My London Business Climate hub provides a range of materials and advice to support businesses in improving the energy efficiency of their buildings. I also responded to the latest consultation on the future trajectory of the Non-Domestic Private Rented Sector Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards.

COVID-19 and financial hardship

Marina Ahmad: The University of Essex’s Centre for Microsimulation and Policy Analysis (CeMPA) research on how COVID-19 has impacted levels of financial hardship in London was due to be published this summer. How will you use the key findings to influence your policies to support London’s recovery?

The Mayor: My officers commissioned academics from the University of Essex to carry out the research you refer to, to provide greater understanding of how Covid-19 has affected levels of financial hardship in London.
The findings of the research will be published in September and will explore how effective the national welfare policies introduced since the beginning of the crisis have been at tackling poverty, which Londoners have benefitted most, and which stand to lose the most from their withdrawal. The research will also model the impact on poverty rates of a selection of alternative welfare policies.
Oncepublished, I’ll share the findings with Government Ministers and civil servants and call on them to take action where appropriate. My officers will use the new data about which groups of Londoners have been hit hardest by the crisis to inform the nature of support offered through the Robust Safety Net recovery mission.

Speakers’ Corner stabbing

Tony Devenish: Are you satisfied that the recent stabbing of a Christian preacher at Speakers’ Corner has been investigated properly and do you consider this a hate based crime?

The Mayor: This matter is being investigated and I am confident that this is being progressed expeditiously and diligently. Specialist officers are also supporting the victim.
There are a number of different aspects of this investigation that are still being progressed, not least arresting the person responsible. I am advised that at present there is nothing to suggest this was a Hate Crime, but this will remain under review throughout the investigation.

London's built environment (3)

Tony Devenish: Do you believe that consensual development is possible if communities are empowered and benefitted, as set out in Policy Exchange’s ‘Strong Suburbs’ report, turning local people into enthusiastic supporters rather than opponents of new homes?

The Mayor: According to Government research, two thirds of Londoners support more homes being built in their local area. Londoners are more likely to support housebuilding than people living in any other region and to say that new homes are better built (MHCLG, ‘Public attitudes to house building’, October 2018). But clearly development can be contentious and it is important to involve communities and ensure that development delivers local benefits. My London Plan sets a clear objective for everyone involved in planning to encourage early and inclusive engagement with stakeholders, including local communities, in the development of proposals, policies and area-based strategies.
I’m pleased to see increased support from organisations like Policy Exchange for intensification of residential areas – something that I have been championing through my London Plan, including the policy on small sites. However, the Strong Suburbs report relies on significant reforms to become reality. I am pushing forward with encouraging sustainable intensification now within the existing system, both through my London Plan policies and by bringing forward London Plan Guidance for how boroughs can put in place design codes and identify capacity for growth, informed by the character of an area and the need for new homes.

London's built environment (2)

Tony Devenish: The Crown Estate has chosen to consolidate recent changes to Regent Street, permanently narrowing the carriageway, adding planters, broadening traffic medians and expanding bus stops. Do you believe there are opportunities to do this elsewhere in London? If so, how will you help this happen, and how will you respond to concerns about troublesome side effects?

The Mayor: My Transport Strategy sets out an ambition to make streets across the Capital safer and improve them for walking, cycling and public transport, in line with Vision Zero and the Healthy Streets Approach. During the pandemic Transport for London (TfL), the London boroughs and other organisations rapidly delivered schemes, such as Regent Street, to respond to the challenges of the pandemic by making London’s streets and public spaces safer for walking, cycling, and social distancing. Many of these were delivered in temporary form under emergency Government guidance.
As stated in my manifesto commitment I will work to ensure communities and stakeholder groups are properly consulted on schemes, refining where necessary, and making them permanent where they are successful. TfL have produced guidance for boroughs delivering temporary and experimental schemes, including a section on consultation and engagement, and a separate guidance document on monitoring. TfL and the boroughs continue to monitor the effects of temporary schemes to support consistent and well-evidenced decision making on whether schemes are made permanent
TfL works closely with London boroughs to plan, fund and deliver improvements to TfL and borough road networks. Healthy Streets schemes are carefully developed with consideration of all road users, seeking input from disability groups and individuals through public consultation and engagement activities to ensure they consider the needs of the local community and groups with protected characteristics. In terms of opportunities for similar schemes elsewhere in London, I would welcome your support for schemes that Transport for London has supported to reduce traffic dominance on Kensington Hight Street and Holland Park Avenue, but which the local borough decided against proceeding with.

London's built environment (1)

Tony Devenish: What will you do to empower local people over the design of developments in their area?

The Mayor: My London Plan is clear about the importance of inclusive growth and good design and provides a framework to ensure that local people are engaged in shaping their surroundings - from the development of local plans through to the design of development proposals.
For example, when gathering evidence for their local plans, boroughs need to engage the local community to understand how they perceive, experience and value the local area and use this information to establish the location and scale of growth in an area. This helps inform the design-led approach to optimising site capacity: making the best use of land in a way that builds on valued characteristics.
The use of design codes is promoted for sites and areas. Local people should be key in shaping these codes and thus influencing the future design of their neighbourhoods. Boroughs are also encouraged to set out design parameters in site allocations, which give local residents the opportunity to influence future development on these sites early in the planning process. Having this design detail in the local plan provides a shared understanding by the community and developers about the nature of development that would be acceptable on a site.
For individual development proposals, design review is encouraged for all development and required under London Plan Policy D4(D) for referable applications for tall buildings or high-density housing. Local design review panels play an important role in improving the design of developments.

Non-crime hate incidents (2)

Neil Garratt: If someone is reported for a non-crime hate incident and it is recorded by the Met police, how can they have the record removed if they think it is spurious or nonsensical?

The Mayor: Anyone who is a victim of or witness to hate crime in London should report it, to give the police the best opportunity to pursue the perpetrators and ensure victims get the support they may need.
Allegations will be assessed and recorded in line with College of Policing guidance and MPS Policy. The investigation of hate crime reports is victim focussed in its approach, taking into account the victim’s needs and wishes at every stage. Whilst not every reported hate crime will result in a Criminal Justice outcome, every victim is offered a referral to an appropriate support agency.
As such, the recording of hate crime incidents is both lawful and extremely important in protecting people. It helps the police to build an intelligence picture relating to community tensions and the risks of incidents escalating into hate crimes.
People are not criminalised when hate incidents are judged to be a non-crime. If the incident does not amount to a criminal offence, then no person involved will be recorded as a suspect.
If an individual believes that their name has been incorrectly recorded on a report, they can contact the police directly, who can amend that report. The name will remain on the report but the status of that person – i.e. that they are not a suspect – will be clearly documented.

E-scooter safety measures (2)

Krupesh Hirani: As the issue of e-scooter safety continues to be debated, can you please provide the criteria by which current e-scooter trials are being assessed and advise what a successful trial would look like?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is assessing the rental e-scooter trial against six key learning objectives. These are to:
Success will be the ability to learn and gather evidence in all these areas and ensure that TfL better understands how e-scooter rental can work in London in the future.

Police officers leaving the Met (1)

Nicholas Rogers: For each of the following years Nov 16 to Oct 17, Nov 17 to Oct 18, Nov 18 to Oct 19, Nov 19 to Oct 20 and Nov 20 to Oct 21, how many police officers left the Met before being entitled to their full pension?

The Mayor: The table below shows the number of officers who left the MPS before the 30+ years of service needed to claim full pension.
Category
Nov 16 - Oct 17
Nov 17 - Oct 18
Nov 18 - Oct 19
Nov 19 - Oct 20
Nov 20 - Aug 21
Left MPS prior to 30+ yrs Service
1523
1562
1670
1445
1024
Note the figures include transfers, so someofficers may complete their 30+ years in another force.

GLA repairs (1)

Zack Polanski: What is the GLA policy on repairing items, such as office furniture, technological devices and catering equipment, and how many items have the GLA repaired each year since 2018?

The Mayor: Assets managed by the GLA are maintained as part of the manufacturers’ recommendations and are repaired until assets are beyond economical repair.
The estimated total items repaired by the FM team for 2018 are 2400 items, 2019 are 2300 items, 2020 are 1000 items and 2021 are 550 items.
The estimated total items repaired by Technology Group for 2018 are 140 items, 2019 are 80 items, 2020 are 200 and 2021 are 150.

Service Charges (3)

Sem Moema: Investment Partners in the Mayor’s Affordable Homes Programme are expected to publish their fees and charges – beyond service charges – on their websites. Please provide a list of investment partners and information about the checks and balances in place to ensure they comply with this obligation.

The Mayor: Investment partners receiving funding through Affordable Homes Programme (2021-26) are required to publish fees and charges (other than service charges) and will be expected to do this once contracts are awarded. The GLA Capital Funding Guide will be updated to reflect this requirement, and compliance will be audited annually in an independent process.
The GLA does not currently hold a list of investment partners who have published their fees and charges.

Service Charges (2)

Sem Moema: The GLA is currently working with investment partners to undertake research on service charge levels in London. When will the research be published and what have the initial findings uncovered?

The Mayor: Through the work to update the Shared Ownership Charter for Service Charges, my housing team are collating available data and establishing with housing providers what might be made available.
We will make available any relevant research findings in relation to service charge levels at the point of publishing the refreshed Service Charges Charter.
MHCLG holds some data on service charges in its database known as CORE. To ensure that we build an improved and more comprehensive picture of shared ownership data, we are liaising with MHCLG on potential improvements to CORE.

London Pension Fund Authority (LPFA) and the TfL Pension Fund - Divestment from Fossil Fuels

Caroline Pidgeon: In your 2021 manifesto you committed to working with the LPFA to ensure they fully divest from fossil fuels and you also committed to working with TfL to ensure their private pension fund divested from fossil fuels too. Please can you provide an update on your discussions with the LPFA on this issue and provide a target for the reduction in fossil fuel investments you want to see in TfL’s private pension fund by the end of this mayoral term?

The Mayor: I have committed to take all possible steps to divest the London Pension Fund Authority (LPFA) of its investments in fossil fuel industries, and to undertake similar work with TFL. Both TfL and the LPFA are run by an independent board of trustees who must act in the fiduciary interests of members of the scheme.
At the start of my previous administration, LPFA held direct investments in extractive fossil fuels of £43.6m). Over the course of my last administration the LPFA reduced their investments in extractive fossil fuels by £39.9m, or 90% of assets under management. I would now encourage the LPFA to consider the overall climate impact of the fund, to ensure that investments are compatible with the 1.5c degree Paris Agreement.
I continue to work with TfL to push their independent pension fund to achieve the same objective as we have achieved with the LPFA, including developing a plan for how both funs can continue to increase investments in climate solutions.

Scrapping the London Housing Panel

Caroline Pidgeon: The London Housing Panel allows tenants and residents in London to have strong, continued representation and get their voices heard on housing issues. Will you reconsider your decision to scrap the London Housing Panel?

The Mayor: The London Housing Panel was created as a forum for London’s voluntary and community sector, bringing together civil society organisations.
I am of course supportive of tenants and residents' needs being represented in housing policy. The GLA must use precious resources to work across a range of channels and amplify voices from the full diversity of London’s communities, especially where Londoners are under-represented or face significant housing-related inequalities. Through the recent funding agreement (ADD2525), the Panel will work with officers to deliver a legacy of community engagement.
Increasing the supply of genuinely affordable social rented homes and advocating for a more secure and more affordable PRS are priorities for me and my housing team. Through my latest affordable housing programme, investment partners are required to commit to actions and initiatives that address barriers to inclusion for tenants and residents. I have strengthened GLA policy to ensure residents of estates themselves vote to approve regeneration plans before GLA investment is made. Furthermore, my housing team intends to resume the initiative whereby officers visit residents in new GLA-funded homes to hear feedback.

Using Qualified and Independent Building Control Inspectors in London (2)

Hina Bokhari: Will you consider making it a requirement for developers funded by the GLA to use fully independent building control inspectors, who are either already employed by the relevant borough or independently appointed by the borough or GLA?

The Mayor: As part of my response to the ‘Building a Safer Future: Proposals for reform of the building safety regulatory system’ consultation I called for Approved Inspectors to be phased out from providing building control services for all buildings. In this, I include inhouse building control inspectors such as those employed directly by developers. To ensure the safety of development and people, the Government needs to make the Building Regulations clearer and more robust as well as increase the skills in the construction industry.

Using Qualified and Independent Building Control Inspectors in London (1)

Hina Bokhari: Do you share my concern that developers are able to contract their own building control inspectors to review and assess developments, rather than there being a requirement for these to be local government inspectors, or appointed to review developments independently?

The Mayor: I believe that there are inherent risks with a market-based approach to building control. As part of my response to the ‘Building a Safer Future: Proposals for reform of the building safety regulatory system’ consultation I called for ‘Approved Inspectors’ to be phased out from providing building control services for all buildings. In this, I include inhouse building control inspectors such as those employed directly by developers. The Government also needs to make the Building Regulations clearer and more robust to ensure the safety and sustainability of development. More widely, improving building standards is also dependent on ensuring greater skills and training in the construction industry.

Employment for Disabled Londoners as we Recover from COVID-19

Hina Bokhari: What assessment have you made of the additional opportunities and challenges for disabled Londoners to find employment as a result of Covid-19?

The Mayor: The London Recovery Board has established a sub-group on inequality with representatives from City Hall, London Councils, the boroughs, VCS, business and health. The group is working to develop an action plan that addresses structural inequalities which drove the disproportionate impacts of Covid-19 or new inequalities that have arisen as a result, including labour market inequality and workplace discrimination. As a first step, the group will co-design a series of ‘vision statements’ that set out key inequalities experienced by different groups and what successfully addressing the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 would look like, including for Deaf and disabled Londoners.
I am absolutely committed to supporting disabled Londoners to find and progress in work. As part of this we have also established a joint working group with the Department for Work and Pensions, London Councils and borough sub-regional partnerships to develop a No Wrong Door approach that better joins up skills and employment support for Londoners impacted by the pandemic, including disabled Londoners. The aim is to ensure that skills, careers and employment support provides a secure route out of poverty for priority groups.
As part of the work underway to produce the Adult Education Roadmap for London, my officers have consulted with SEND practitioners, held community conversations with disabilities organisations, and are undertaking a peer research project. The purpose is to understand the challenges and opportunities for SEND / disabled learners and to reflect these in my final Adult Education Roadmap for London to be published later this year.

London’s Reliance on Furlough

Hina Bokhari: The latest analysis by GLA Economics clearly shows that London remains reliant on the furlough scheme despite labour market improvements. Will you look to support calls to Government for an independent commission to look at what additional support businesses need as the furlough scheme draws to a close to ensure London avoids yet more redundancies and business closures?

The Mayor: The furlough scheme has been an important and largely successful part of the Government’s pandemic response. It is good that the Government heeded my and London stakeholders’ earlier calls for its extension; although I regret that the cut to the government contribution in recent months was not re-considered.
With the advice of my London Covid Business Forum, I will continue to support London businesses through the pandemic; through my Let’s Do London campaign, London Business Hub and other business support programmes. I will continue to call upon the Government, alongside business representatives, for appropriate support through the recovery.
We must also continue to focus our efforts on ensuring London’s workers have the relevant skills for the jobs available which is why I have launched my Academies Programme.

Tideway Tunnel and Carbon Offset (2)

Krupesh Hirani: How important is carbon offset and carbon capture in order for London to achieve the target of net zero by 2030?

The Mayor: Whilst reducing emissions as much as possible remains my primary objective, London can’t get to absolute zero by 2030. This is a challenge that all cities, countries and businesses face as there will always be some residual emissions that we can’t get rid of. However, we will ensure that any necessary offsetting will deliver additional, permanent and verifiable reductions and not simply export our emissions abroad for others to tackle.
As per my response to MQ 2021/2610, it is unlikely that carbon capture and storage will play a significant role in London’s net zero carbon by 2030 target, as the UK will only be developing its first initial sites in the 2020s at industrial clusters outside of London. I am focusing my efforts on the immediate actions that I can take to reduce emissions from the built environment and transport by 2030.

Tideway Tunnel and Carbon Offset (1)

Krupesh Hirani: A constituent has raised concerns about the carbon footprint of the Tideway Tunnel scheme. Please detail how the scheme has worked to minimise its carbon impact and the mitigations from the scheme that allow for carbon offset.

The Mayor: The tideway project is an important piece of new infrastructure. Helping improve the environmental performance of London’s sewer networks, reduce sewage spills into the river Thames. It will also reduce the risk of sewer flooding in some places.
As a nationally significant infrastructure project Tideway was determined by the Planning Inspectorate in 2014 and all details are available on thePlanning Inspectorate Website.
Tideway are using best practice construction techniques to reduce emissions including embodied carbon in construction materials. For example at Chambers Wharf, the main drive site a base slab of 1,500m of concrete was poured. The base slab contained 75% of cement alternative (ground granulated blast furnace slag) the highest used to date and meant that cement made up 5% of the total volume of material used.
Tideway continue to work with their supply chain to minimise their carbon footprint and will be announcing their latest carbon performance ahead of COP 26 this year.

Service Charges (1)

Sem Moema: What checks and balances are in place to ensure that those delivery partners who sign up to the Shared Ownership Charter for Service Charges adhere to the requirements of the Charter?

The Mayor: Partners receiving funds through the Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26 are expected to sign up to the Charter and this will be reiterated as contracts are awarded. Providers are currently working collaboratively with the GLA to develop and agree a refreshed Charter.
The Mayor has no direct power to enforce regulation relating to service charges; the rules governing them are set out in the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. Where shared owners are facing issues relating to their service charges, external avenues of redress are available such as the First-tier Tribunal and the Housing Ombudsman.

Funding of Social Housing (2)

Sem Moema: What is your current assessment of the disparity between council home funding and need across the capital?

The Mayor: Joint GLA/G15 research has shown that a far higher level of funding from central government is required if London is to meet its need for new affordable homes. I am proud to have spearheaded a renaissance in council homebuilding, and I expect councils to account for a growing share of new affordable homes built in London. More than four in ten of the homes in the first round of bidding for my 2021-26 affordable homes programme will be delivered by councils, including the majority of the homes for social rent, but I know that many of them are ambitious to do more if sufficient funding were available from central Government.

Staples Corner

Anne Clarke: The Staples Corner Roundabout is maintained by TfL, with slip roads the responsibility of Barnet Council. Will you ensure that they areproperly maintained going forward, and will you continue to pressure Barnet Council to repair the potholes, clear the litter and debris and maintain the foliage?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) will continue to liaise with the London Borough of Barnet to ensure that the repairing of potholes, clearing of litter and debris, and maintenance of the foliage on the slip roads at this location is completed.
TfL will also continue its grass cutting programme on TfL-maintained verges in line with regular works, and while environmental protection duties (such as litter picking) are not TfL’s responsibility, it does litter pick before cutting the grass across its road network.

New Transport for London enforcement cameras

Caroline Russell: Transport for London (TfL) announced new enforcement cameras on 26 July 2021. What data will be collected by these cameras, how long it will be held for, which agencies will be able to access the data, and how will it be used to demonstrate the welcomed proposed outcomes of cutting road danger, reducing congestion, and improving bus journey reliability?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) awarded a contract for new cameras to enforce civil traffic rules at junctions. These cameras can be moved to where they are most needed and will capture footage of vehicles committing moving traffic contraventions, such as banned turns or driving in a bus lane. Other data captured includes the vehicle registration as well as the date and time of the offence. Vehicle registration data is not collected if no contravention has occurred.
Data can be retained for up to two years, depending on the type of data held and whether the penalty charge is paid or not. Only TfL and its camera/systems supplier will be able to access the data for the purposes the systems allow.Data can also be requested by the police where appropriate. Additionally, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency regularly audits TfL to ensure compliance with GDPR requirements relating to the processing of data from these cameras.
Deployment sites are chosen based on TfL’s modelling of Vision Zero priority locations, as well as locations where bus journey reliability is poor. Additionally, reports from the public and other stakeholders are fed into the prioritisation and camera deployment model.
An initial trial demonstrated a significant increase in compliance with road rules in locations previously unenforced. Deployable Enforcement Cameras will also act as a deterrent for motorists and improve driver behaviour, which will then lead to less dangerous driving, less congestion and improved bus reliability.

Catalytic Converter thefts in Brent and Harrow Constituency

Krupesh Hirani: Please can you provide a breakdown of figures for the number of vehicles, by manufacturer, that had their catalytic converters stolen in 2019, 2020, and 2021 so far in Brent and Harrow respectively.

The Mayor: Please see attached the requested information. The supplied notes page should be read in conjunction with these data to aid in interpretation.

The Mayor: 3437_3438_Catalytic Converter Thefts in Brent and Harrow.xlsx

DSEI arms fair 2021

Caroline Russell: The DSEI arms fair returns to the ExCel London this month. Past events have seen weapons sold to regimes that commit human rights abuses. Do you agree that it is wrong for London to host an international arms fair?

The Mayor: It is a matter of public record that I amstrongly opposed to this event taking place in London. London is a global city, which is home to manypeoplewho have fled conflict and suffered as a consequence ofthe appropriation ofweapons like those exhibited at DSEI.For it to be used as a marketplace for those who wish to trade in weapons to some countries that contribute to human rights abusesgoes completely against our values.
Given the significant opposition that exists and the local disruption this event causes I have written to both ExCel and the event organiser strongly urging them not to hold this event at ExCel in the future.

Use of casualty data

Caroline Pidgeon: Further to your response to question2021/2683 does your reply mean that outside of the 73 junctions referenced, the mapped data referred to in 2020/4248 does not exist?

The Mayor: In my previous response to Mayor’s Question 2021/2682, Transport for London (TfL) provided a ranked list of 1,721 road links, across the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN) and London Borough Principal Road Network (BPRN), which can be used to identify the casualty harm rate and excess harm at these locations. This covers more than the 73 junctions referenced in Mayor’s Question 2021/2683. The casualty harm rate and excess harm analysis was used alongside other data to prioritise the 73 road safety schemes, 43 of which have now received safety improvements.
TfL is committed to measuring risk and making this information publicly available, as demonstrated by the “Road Danger Reduction Dashboard” at: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/road-safety

Night Time Economy in Outer London

Neil Garratt: How have you supported the night time economy in outer London boroughs this summer?

The Mayor: I amworking with all boroughs to support the safe reopening of the night time economy, which is key for London’s recovery. As part of Let’s Do London, I launched a London ‘Lates’ season and all boroughs have access to a toolkit to help them promote events in their area.
The High Street Reopening Coordination Group, chaired by my Night Czar, provided best practice and guidance for boroughs and businesses to support the safe reopening of the night time economy. It brought together key borough stakeholders, the police and businesses to ensure a coordinated pan-London response.
My Safer Sounds Partnership and the Met police offered free welfare and vulnerability training to frontline venue staff across London. This included venues in outer London boroughs such as Bromley, Hounslow and Waltham Forest. The training also provides resources for Ask for Angela, a campaign offering vulnerable customers support on a night out.
I have also been supporting boroughs across London through my Night Time Borough Champions Network by providing guidance to help them develop Night Time Strategies.

London homicide reviews

Caroline Russell: It was recently announced that, from autumn 2021, the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) will be reviewing each homicide that takes place in London to learn lessons and prevent future murders. What process will these reviews follow?

The Mayor: The Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) commissioned research into statutory reviews of homicides which was published in January 2020. The report identified limited use of Serious Case Reviews for homicides where the victim was under 18 and for those aged 18 or above, the picture was even starker, with no review undertaken unless it met the criteria for a Domestic Homicide Review, Independent Investigation Report or Safeguarding Adult Review.
Because of the missed opportunities to learn lessons, the Mayor wrote to the Home Secretary. The Government listened and is legislating for statutory reviews for homicides with a victim aged 18 or over. A provision of the legislation is to initially co-design and pilot the reviews with three areas across England and Wales including London.
The Mayor has confirmed that the London VRU will support the pilot, work with local partners, and help design the reviews so that the final model works for London.

GPS tags for knife crime and domestic abuse offenders

Caroline Russell: You recently announced, on 18 August 2021, a boost in funding for GPS tracking tags for knife crime and domestic abuse offenders. How will you measure the success of this scheme?

The Mayor: Like the two other GPS tagging pilots that we have implemented in London, the domestic abuse GPS pilot will be subject to a full process and performance evaluation due next year. This will analyse performance data and information collected about both how tags are used and the characteristics and compliance outcomes for tag wearers. This will also involve interviews with probation and police officers and tag wearers, as well as staff involved in domestic abuse victim protection work, to gather feedback on how this has been used. We will also look at the full impact on reoffending for those on GPS tags.

Vaccines for rough sleepers

Unmesh Desai: Volunteers across my constituency are reaching out to rough sleepers, encouraging them to get their vaccinations. What can you do from City Hall to support this important work?

The Mayor: Volunteers have played a crucial role in the pandemic response in London, including supporting those experiencing homelessness. I am working closely with NHS, Local Authority and voluntary sector colleagues as well as peer advocates through the homelessness charity Groundswell to encourage all those who are rough sleeping or otherwise vulnerable in emergency accommodation to take up the COVID vaccination offer. This includes using our expertise and systems to help identify groups with low uptake who need extra attention, taking advantage of existing 'touch points' in our services to promote vaccination offers, and coordinating activity with partners to improve the consistency of offer for this group. Input from those with lived experience has been key in producing media and information campaigns, and as peer advocates encouraging and supporting those experiencing homelessness to attend appointments.

Refugees and homelessness (8)

Siân Berry: Thank you for your answer to my question 2021/2774. You told me: “Through the London Asylum Group, GLA officials have worked with Reed in Partnership to promote and embed the London Housing Protocol.” Could you provide me with links to meetings and minutes of the London Asylum Group and a copy of the London Housing Protocol?

The Mayor: The minutes of the London Asylum Group and the London Housing Protocol are not made public, because of the sensitivity of the discussion and data included. However, my team will be happy to engage separately with Assembly Members to discuss in further detail - please contact [emailprotected]if you would like to do that.

Mental Health of TfL Staff

Elly Baker: What is TfL doing as an employer to recognise that the last 16 months has taken a toll on some TfL staff’s mental health and how are you supporting them?

The Mayor: The health and wellbeing of its staff has always been of paramount importance to Transport for London (TfL), and this has been particularly important during the last 16 months throughout the different stages of the pandemic. Wellbeing is monitored through TfL’s staff survey and additional wellbeing surveys that were instated in response to the pandemic.
Increased mental health support has been provided to TfL staff during the pandemic, including:
TfL has a dedicated New Ways of Working team to support employees, including by providing practical ways to improve their home working experience and best practice advice to support people returning to the office work environment.

Junction at Greenwich South Street consultation

Len Duvall: When will TfL publish the results of the consultation on safety improvements at the junction of Greenwich South Street, Blackheath Hill and Lewisham Road which was carried out in 2018?

The Mayor: Although Transport for London’s (TfL’s) work on this project has been severely delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, it was pleased to be able to publish its consultation report and next steps on 12 August. These were published on its consultation website at: https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/roads/blackheath-hill/
Following the consultation process, TfL considered all the feedback received and decided to review its designs for the junction in light of the comments and suggestions made. As a result, it has undertaken further detailed design work, and liaised with its partners at the Royal Borough of Greenwich and London Borough of Lewisham.
TfL has made some adjustments to its designs and now proposes to include a ‘straight across’ crossing on the eastern arm of Blackheath Hill, rather than a staggered crossing as proposed in the consultation. To facilitate this, it would need to ban the right turn from Lewisham Road into Blackheath Hill.
Before proceeding with these proposals, TfL will need to undertake extensive modelling work to understand the implications of banning the right turn in this way, and the wider impact on the local area and road users, including bus services.

Catalytic Converter thefts in Brent and Harrow Constituency

Krupesh Hirani: Please advise how many catalytic converters have been stolen in Brent and Harrow respectively in 2021.

The Mayor: Please see attached the requested information. The supplied notes page should be read in conjunction with these data to aid in interpretation.

The Mayor: 3437_3438_Catalytic Converter Thefts in Brent and Harrow.xlsx

Repairs to pools at Crystal Palace

Caroline Russell: Constituents have raised concerns with me about the 50 metre competition pool and the diving pool at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre which have been closed since March 2020 pending a decision on repairs. These are vital spaces both for leisure use and for competitive sport, having been the base for half the current Great Britain Olympic diving team. Do you support the urgent need to repair these facilities, which are a key part of London’s aquatic amenities?

The Mayor: The sports centre at Crystal Palace is an iconic venue with a rich sporting history. I want to make sure that it has a long-term and sustainable future as a multi-sport venue, including swimming and diving. I know how important these facilities are to Londoners, which is why my team have been working to finalise the information needed to ensure that the centre remains safe and can reopen for diving and swimming as soon as possible.

Marylebone Road Congestion

Tony Devenish: I have received a number of emails complaining about near-permanent congestion and increased pollution on Marylebone Road since the introduction of a temporary cycle lane removed a lane for cars. There is particular concern about the impact of this on UCL Hospital. When can my constituents expect this temporary lane to be removed?

The Mayor: The temporary Euston Road cycle lane was installed in August 2020 in response to the pandemic, in order to encourage more people to use active travel modes such as cycling. Transport for London (TfL) has been engaging with the London Borough of Camden and other stakeholders, including the emergency services, since the cycle lane was installed and their feedback will be important in determining the future of the scheme.
All of the changes made on Euston Road last year were introduced using Temporary Traffic Orders (TROs). TfL is now considering what the next steps for this scheme should be. Data will be reviewed, including any traffic flow changes, bus journey times, cycling data and also the feedback received from the public and other stakeholders since August 2020. As TfL decides about this scheme, all interested parties, including stakeholders, will be kept informed on what is intended and what the next steps will be.

Unemployment on the London Datastore

Marina Ahmad: Can you provide unemployment rates by London borough on the London Datastore?

The Mayor: Two sets of statistics may be used to track unemployment at the borough level and these are already available on the London Datastore.
The main unemployment rate estimates at the local level come from the ONS annual population survey and cover a 12-month period. Estimates for London boroughs are provided on the London Datastore here: https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/model-based-unemployment-estimates.
The claimant count is the number of people claiming unemployment related benefits. This is a timely source of data, but can be affected by changes to benefit rules. The latest estimates for London boroughs are reported on the Datastore here: https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/gla-economics-covid-19-labour-market-analysis.

PSPOs in Hammersmith & Fulham

Tony Devenish: Will you urge Hammersmith & Fulham Council to explore the benefits of PSPOs to clamp down on nuisance vehicles?

The Mayor: I am aware that nuisance vehicles are a serious problem in Hammersmith and Fulham, and I acknowledge the adverse effect this must be having on local residents. I would like to reassure them that the MPS and Hammersmith and Fulham Council are taking their complaints seriously and working to tackle the problem. I support Councils using their powers as required in their local areas, including the use of PSPOs where it is an appropriate response.

Unemployment in London (1)

Marina Ahmad: The latest Office for National Statistics release shows that London has the highest regional unemployment rate of 6.4%. What are the contributing factors to this and what action are you taking to support unemployed Londoners?

The Mayor: The impact of COVID-19 on sectors such as hospitality and international tourism, as well as employers within London’s Central Activities Zone (CAZ), means that our labour market continues to be disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
I am supporting unemployed Londoners through a range of skills and employment programmes.
130,590 Londoners enrolled in an Adult Education Budget (AEB) course during the first half of the 2020/21 academic year, around half of whom (66,520) declared to be unemployed. I have introduced flexibilities to the AEB programme to allow more Londoners to get job-focused training and access fully funded courses at level 3.
My Academies Programme will support Londoners hardest hit by the pandemic into good work in sectors critical to London’s recovery, whilst the Careers Hubs and Workforce Integration Network are also helping Londoners to access job opportunities and careers support.
The No Wrong Door Initiative which we are developing with London Councils and other partners will also help to ensure Londoners can access the right type of support to progress into good jobs.

Mapping of casualty harm rate and excess harm data

Caroline Pidgeon: How many boroughs have had access so far to the mapped data that was referred to in question 2020/4248? For those boroughs that have not had sight of the data referenced in question 2020/4248, how can they be expected to achieve the vision zero goal?

The Mayor: A total of 224 users across 33 boroughs and the Greater London Authority have access to the available data referenced in Mayor’s Question 2020/4248. Transport for London (TfL) does not track individual access to the data and so cannot confirm how many boroughs have accessed which data.
TfL works closely with boroughs at all levels and encourages them to use an evidence-based approach to identifying priorities to reduce road danger on the roads they manage. TfL and boroughs work together to ensure that funding continues to be spent in areas that will deliver the greatest reductions in road risk.

Right to Buy Back scheme (1)

Andrew Boff: What will be the total funding for the Right to Buy Back scheme?

The Mayor: There is no ring-fenced funding set aside for my new Right to Buy-back fund. Funding allocations made as part of my Right to Buy-back fund will be determined in accordance with demand from councils and in line with other programme requirements.

Expansion of the ENGAGE and DIVERT Programmes

Caroline Pidgeon: Please provide details of the custody suites in London the ENGAGE and DIVERT programmes will be expanded to and how these have been selected?

The Mayor: In 2021 DIVERT is expanding into twelve MPS custody suites. These sites are the major custody suites across London and service each BCU. DIVERT will be in Brixton, Croydon, Leyton, Wood Green, Lewisham, Wembley, Bethnal Green, Walworth, Wandsworth, Holborn, Hammersmith & Fulham and Barking. DIVERT is already embedded in the first eight mentioned, with the remaining four sites going live in October.
ENGAGE is live in Camden and Islington and operates in Holborn and Islington MPS custody suites. The Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) has been awarded further funding from the Home Office and is proposing to expand ENGAGE in both Haringey and Barking boroughs which have a high number of juveniles first time entrants rates. It is anticipated these additional ENGAGE sites will be live in November.

Empty Developments – The Royal Docks

Shaun Bailey: Are you able to advise of any progress made regarding empty developments at The Royal Docks?

The Mayor: The Royal Docks includes a number of sites which are ready for development but have not yet been developed. Each major site in the Royal Docks has a development partner and all the sites have some level of planning consent already in place. On most sites there will be some areas which will remain empty as they are awaiting an imminent start on site (i.e. within the next 12months). On sites or parts of sites where the relevant phases of development are not due to start imminently, there are some existing or planned temporary uses.

E-scooter safety measures (6)

Krupesh Hirani: Considering ongoing trials within London, are you able to provide a copy of the Mayor of London’s and/or TfL’s response to the Government’s consultation on e-scooter trials?

The Mayor: Please find attached Transport for London’s response to the Department for Transport’s (DfT’s) consultation on ‘legalising rental e-scooter trials’. This response was sent to the DfT on 2 June 2020.

The Mayor: 3448 attachment TfL's response to DfTs consultation.pdf

E-scooter safety measures (7)

Krupesh Hirani: Please provide a figure for how many e-scooters the Met Police has destroyed after being impounded?

The Mayor: Between January and July 2021 (inclusive) the Metropolitan Police has destroyed 1,256 e-scooters impounded after the required recovery window has expired.

Waking Watch Relief Fund

Anne Clarke: How many grants have been made from this fund to date?

The Mayor: As at 1 September 2021, 111 Waking Watch Relief Fund applications have been referred to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) for a funding decision. This is the total number of applications received by the GLA. Of these 63 have been approved, 24 have been rejected, 12 have been withdrawn by the applicant and 12 are pending awaiting further evidence. My Building Safety team is now working with successful applicants to enter into funding agreements, and no funding has yet been drawn down from the Waking Watch Relief Fund.

Social and Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund

Anne Clarke: How much of these funding pots have been allocated to London?

The Mayor: As of 01 September 2021, MHCLG has allocated £208 million for the remediation of buildings in London through the Social Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund.
As of 01 September 2021, MHCLG has approved £148 million of funding for the remediation of buildings in London through the Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund. London does not receive a formal total allocation for this programme.

E-scooter safety measures (3)

Krupesh Hirani: Please could you advise what proportion of serious head trauma injuries recorded in London’s A&E departments in 2020 and 2021 were the result of accidents involving e-scooters?

The Mayor: Data on the proportion of serious head trauma injuries in London’s A&E departments resulting from accidents involving e-scooters is not available at the present time.

Waking Watches and London’s Boroughs

Anne Clarke: Please provide a borough-by-borough breakdown of the number of buildings operating waking watches in London. Please also breakdown the numbers for buildings over 18m and under 18m in each borough.

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) collects data for buildings with a temporary suspension of ‘stay put’ where an interim simultaneous evacuation strategy has been put in place. This includes, but is not limited to, waking watches, which the National Fire Chiefs Council guidance defines as a system where ‘suitably trained persons continually patrol all floors and the exterior perimeter of the building in order to detect a fire, raise the alarm, and carry out the role of evacuation management’.Residential buildings with an interim simultaneous evacuation strategy in place could have personnel on site or a remote monitoring system, but this is determined by the Responsible Person with guidancefroma competent fire safety professional.
The figures can changeon a daily basiswhen interim measures are required, or the building is remediated and no longer requires the interim measures. The number of buildings where an interim simultaneous evacuation strategy has been put in place, asof13 August 2021, are presented by borough and by height in the table below.
Local Authority
Total blocks
Over 18 metres
Under 18 metres
Barking and Dagenham
14
11
3
Barnet
21
17
4
Bexley
3
3
0
Brent
56
41
15
Bromley
4
2
2
Camden
33
28
5
City of London
2
2
0
Croydon
37
23
14
Ealing
18
11
7
Enfield
3
2
1
Greenwich
67
58
9
Hackney
78
59
19
Hammersmith and Fulham
11
9
2
Haringey
14
8
6
Harrow
4
3
1
Havering
13
13
0
Hillingdon
16
9
7
Hounslow
19
14
5
Islington
49
32
17
Kensington and Chelsea
15
8
7
Kingston upon Thames
4
4
0
Lambeth
50
36
14
Lewisham
56
38
18
Merton
5
3
2
Newham
60
56
4
Redbridge
11
9
2
Richmond
0
0
0
Southwark
82
75
7
Sutton
3
3
0
Tower Hamlets
162
153
9
Waltham Forest
21
21
0
Wandsworth
35
31
4
Westminster
40
36
4
Total
1006
818
188

Social and Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund

Anne Clarke: How many grants have been made from these funds to date?

The Mayor: As of 01 September 2021, 79 payments from the Social Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund have been authorised. In total, £109,169,368 has been paid out to date. It should be noted that grant is paid in two tranches for this programme – 80 per cent and 20 per cent.
As of 01 September 2021, 111 payments from the Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund have been authorised. In total, £27,984,645 has been paid out to date.It should be noted that most buildings under this programme follow a monthly payment structure.

Building Safety Fund (4)

Anne Clarke: What is the total funding pot for the Building Safety Fund? How much of this has been allocated to London?

The Mayor: An initial allocation of £1bn was made available by government for the Building Safety Fund (BSF) nationally. Of this £1bn, £700m was forecasted to be used to remediate buildings in London. In February 2021, the Secretary of State announced that an additional £3.5bn of BSF funding would be made available. Discussions are ongoing at the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) to determine the allocation of this additional funding.

Station accessibility in Brent and Harrow Constituency

Krupesh Hirani: In relation to Step Free Access at Queen’s Park Station. I understand that the station is currently in Control Period 5 and due to be fully step-free by March 2024. What assurances have Network Rail given to you to assure that this project will be completed on time and Queen’s Park Station will become fully accessible for all?

The Mayor: The Department for Transport (DfT) and Network Rail are currently considering whether to progress work to make Queen’s Park station step-free as part of the DfT’s Access for All programme. This means that Network Rail is progressing designs to its ‘Option Selection’ stage to confirm whether or not a possible scheme is feasible, affordable and provides value for money. Transport for London is expecting an update from Network Rail on the outcome of this next month. Network Rail has provided no assurance as to the delivery of step-free access at this station in advance of the completion of this design and feasibility work.

Building Safety Fund (2)

Anne Clarke: How many buildings in London have had their applications deemed ineligible? What reasons were given for ineligibility?

The Mayor: The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) checks the technical eligibility of buildings as part of their initial registration process for the Building Safety Fund. Once eligibility has been confirmed, MHCLG passes applications related to London buildings to the GLA.
During the application process, the GLA undertakes legal eligibility checks during stage 1. So far, three projects have not passed stage 1 checks because leasehold documentation related to the building did not confirm that the obligation to undertake remediation works and pass on costs to leaseholders sat with the applicant.

Building Safety Fund (3)

Anne Clarke: How many buildings in London have withdrawn applications? Have any reasons been given for these withdrawals and if so what are they?

The Mayor: 17 building registrations that MHCLG has passed to the GLA have since withdrawn. The most common reason for a withdrawal is that the an EWS1 certificate has been obtained and the responsible entity has decided not to proceed with remediation.

Fitting solar panels in conservation areas (3)

Siân Berry: Which boroughs have instigated Article 4 Directions so that residents need planning permission to put solar PV on their homes in conservation areas? Could you provide the information in table form listing the boroughs, the conservation areas within them subject to Article 4 Directions, and how much land this covers in square kilometres.

The Mayor: Around 14 per cent of homes in London are in conservation areas. We do not hold data on the number of Article 4 Directions across London within conservation areas or the areas these cover. Each borough will have information on individual conservation areas and any relevant Article 4 Directions that apply to them.
Boroughs may use an Article 4 Direction to remove PD rights to protect a conservation area from development that is likely to cause harm to the character or conservation value of that area. Removing PD rights does not necessarily mean that solar panels cannot be installed in conservation areas, but that they may require planning permission.

Cycle Infrastructure Design LTN 1/20 Standard (3)

Caroline Pidgeon: What timeline is in place for boroughs via Local Implementation Plan (LIP) funding to have all of their street network compliant with LTN 1/20 infrastructure design standards?

The Mayor: Boroughs deliver my Transport Strategy via their Local Implementation Plans. Over the past year ‘business as usual’ delivery of the plans has been paused as boroughs responded, through the Streetspace programme, to rapidly deliver temporary infrastructure to enable Londoners to travel safely during the covid-19 pandemic. Transport for London (TfL) is now working with boroughs to develop the next iterations of their delivery plans, these represent a key opportunity to build on Streetspace to accelerate London’s delivery of high-quality cycle and walking infrastructure.
TfL and London’s boroughs have an obligation to comply with the Department for Transport’s LTN 1/20 Cycle Infrastructure Design, as set out in the Transport for London Settlement Letter (DfT, June 2021). As set out in my answer to question 2021/2684, LTN 1/20 states that it is to be used by local authorities when setting design standards for their roads. TfL is complying with LTN 1/20 by setting its own standards, while being cognisant of the recommendations set out in national guidance. Much of the LTN 1/20 was based on TfL’s London Cycling Design Standards (LCDS, 2016). For five years TfL and the boroughs have benefitted from having guidance tailored for the London context, which links with wider London policy documents, including the London Plan. TfL will continue to refer to the LCDS and more recent cycle route Quality Criteria published in May 2019 as the primary resources for cycling design and delivery in London.

Right to Buy-back fund

Siân Berry: How many bids have you received for the Right to Buy-back fund since bidding opened on 8 August 2021, from which local authorities or their dedicated delivery bodies and for how many properties?

The Mayor: My officers are in early discussions with a number of councils across London who have expressed an interest in my new Right to Buy-back fund. However, I have not yet confirmed any allocations relating this new fund.
I do not publish bidding information for any of my capital funding programmes. However, I will publish information about allocations made through my Right to Buy-back programme once these have been confirmed.

Refugees and homelessness (9)

Siân Berry: Thank you for your answer to my question 2021/2779. You told me: “Earlier this year the GLA commissioned research which included proposals for the inclusion of people seeking asylum in decision making in London. My new Asylum Welcome programme will help local authorities to ensure service design is being shaped by lived experience.” Could you share this research as well as details, including a timetable, of your new Asylum Welcome programme?

The Mayor: This research has not been made public, due to a number of sensitivities contained within it. However, my team will be happy to engage separately with Assembly Members to discuss in further detail. Please contact [emailprotected]if you would like to do that.

Accessibility of grant funding information (1)

Siân Berry: A constituent has raised concerns over the accessibility of information about the distribution of your affordable housing grants. Could you tell me: a) how can a London resident find out if any grant in relation to their home was applied for or granted, and b) what policies are place to prevent housing providers from not obtaining available funding, in order to charge unaffordable and higher rents for new homes?

The Mayor: The GLA does not publish a breakdown of individual schemes which have been funded with GLA grant as part of our standard programme reporting.
The decision about how to finance affordable housing delivery ultimately sits with the developer. However, the London Plan sets out requirements on tenure to ensure that the delivery of genuinely affordable homes is prioritised. The London Plan (Policy 4.4.1) also states that ‘all schemes are expected to maximise the delivery of affordable housing and make the most efficient use of available resources’.
If a resident is concerned that they are being charged unfair rents by their social housing landlord, they can also contact the Housing Ombudsman for advice.

Highlighting the Risk of Scam Phone Calls

Caroline Pidgeon: I am receiving increasing reports of scam phone calls across London. How are you working with boroughs, the Met and others to tackle and warn against the signs of scam phone calls, particularly with older Londoners who so often seem to be targeted?

The Mayor: MOPAC sits as part of the National Fraud Communications Group and works to amplify preventative messages concerning all types of fraud. The Community Watch Project delivers bespoke fraud prevention advice to all 32 Boroughs regularly sending newsletters to over 500,000 residents. The MPS Fraud & Cyber Partnership, Prevention & Governance (PPG) created The Little Media Series of books and videos offering advice on telephone and online scams. Social media is used to amplify these messages. The Police led Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU) works with telephone companies and the banking industry to identify suspects and protect victims by safeguarding bank accounts.

“Incel” extremism

Unmesh Desai: How many people have the Met referred to the Prevent programme who described themselves as “Involuntarily Celibate” or followed the “Incel” ideology?

The Mayor: Since 2015 there have been 10 Prevent referrals to the MPS. These referrals may have come from a range of reporting partner agencies and/or members of the public and may not have necessarily resulted in Police interaction with the individuals concerned.

“Incel” extremism

Unmesh Desai: How many people has the Met arrested for terrorism related offences who described themselves as “Involuntarily Celibate” or followed the “Incel” ideology?

The Mayor: To date, nobody has been arrested for terrorism offences with a specific ‘involuntarily celibate’ or ‘incel’ ideology underpinning the criminality in question. The Metropolitan Police will continue to monitor such offending with this and other extremist mindsets.

Mental health of police officers

Unmesh Desai: Please advise what mental health support is available to officers leaving the Met to retire from policing?

The Mayor: Police officers can access a range of mental health services through Occupational Health. While this is a workplace service that is not designed for those who have left the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), the MPS direct retired officers to their GP, charities that provide support, counselling, 24hr crisis lines, recovery cafes and specialist financial services.

Solar opportunity mapping of London

Siân Berry: Your London Solar Opportunity Map was launched in 2020 (https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/energy/energy-buildings...). Could you demonstrate how it has had a positive impact on the installation of solar PV in London?

The Mayor: The Solar Opportunity Map is an interactive tool that was developed to support stakeholders looking to develop PV projects to better understand the potential for PV generation on buildings across London. This helps them to identify areas where there is opportunity to develop PV projects, provides an initial understanding of the scale of that opportunity and informs subsequent feasibility study.
The map was launched in September 2020 and has been well used by stakeholders exploring the opportunity for PV installations. Monitoring traffic to the site has shown that it has had 4,227 page views of which 3,991 were unique page views since its launch. There is no direct correlation that we can use to estimate the amount of solar installation undertaken as a consequence of using the map. Data is currently not available on the map for any solar installations since September 2020 but my officers are looking to see if it could be periodically updated to capture information on solar installations.

Heat pump support in energy performance certificates

Zack Polanski: Are you aware of concerns that heat pumps are not well supported by present Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) approaches, and have you taken any steps to influence change?

The Mayor: I understand that this is because the main Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating is based on energy cost savings rather carbon savings, and the EPC methodology assumes that the operating cost for an efficient gas boiler is less than for a heat pump, so a gas boiler will get recommended in an EPC ahead of a heat pump.
There are further issues associated with EPCs in that they use modelled rather than actual energy consumption data, and the regulations are poorly enforced. My response to the consultation on the Non-Domestic Private Rented Sector Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards outlined in detail some of these issues with EPCs and the need for reform. My response to the consultation on the Future Homes Standard also outlined the need to update the SAP emissions factors urgently, which are part of the issue for heat pumps in EPCs.

Shortage of HGV drivers

Marina Ahmad: What impact is the shortage of HGV drivers having in London and what action is needed to prevent upheaval in the food industry?

The Mayor: Reports in the press of disruption to food supply are of course a concern. Some restaurants and shops report a reduction in choice and the supply arising from a shortage of drivers. Some local authorities say that some waste collection has been affected. The road haulage industry has reported for a number of years that there is a shortage of HGV drivers and this has been exacerbated by the disruption from COVID-19 and Brexit. The Government has taken some measures to respond to the issue and continues to liaise with industry. The issue has not been raised as a significant concern through the London Resilience Partnership.

Tooting Bec Road (3)

Caroline Pidgeon: Does TfL have any plans to bring forward proposals to make Tooting Bec Road safer for all road users?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has previously developed a pedestrian and cycle scheme on Tooting Bec Road between Dr Johnson Avenue and Riggindale Road. An explanation as to why this project has been paused has been provided in my response to Mayor’s Question 2021/3637.
Safety data as provided in my response to Mayor’s Question 2021/3638, is used alongside other data such as bus performance, TfL’s strategic cycle analysis (https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/cycling), Strategic Walking Analysis (http://content.tfl.gov.uk/strategic-walking-analysis.pdf), and growth to inform where TfL investment to make changes on the road network should be prioritised.

Good employment practices in gig economy

Marina Ahmad: When do you expect your charters for good work and best practice for both gig economy workers and freelancers in the creative industries to be published?

The Mayor: Work is underway to develop these initiatives which are expected to be in place by mid-the end of 2022. Both will build on the principles of my Good Work Standard.
I am working with the Creative Industries Federation to design a national framework for good work for creative freelancers. London will play a pivotal role. Workers taking part in my Creative Freelancers Shaping London's Recovery Programme will be actively involved in designing the framework.
The GLA is conducting research with gig workers to better understand their needs, before re-engaging with platforms themselves, unions and other stakeholders.
I continue to support good work in these industries through existing programmes. For example, the Mayor's Resilience Fund funded four innovators to develop a platform to help gig workers better understand their pay. I look forward to working the Living Wage Foundation and the winning organisation, Finmo, on the next steps.

London Apprenticeship Fund

Hina Bokhari: London has one of the UK’s highest unemployment rates and is suffering from a skills shortage. Will you consider the creation of a London Apprenticeship Fund to help restart apprenticeship growth, as has been recommended by London First?

The Mayor: I will continue to champion apprenticeships as they offer an important route for Londoners to access the skills they need to move into and progress within work. Apprenticeships are vital in addressing skills shortages in sectors key to our recovery.
Apprenticeship funding is not currently within my jurisdiction. However, I continue to lobby Government for the powers and funding to establish a London Apprenticeship Service and to retain a proportion of London’s unspent levy to create a devolved regional fund.
The success of the London Progression Collaboration (LPC) pilot has demonstrated that apprenticeship funding should be administered locally.
To date the pilot has secured pledges of £8.4m of unspent levy from large employers. This money is being drawn down by smaller employers to fully fund apprenticeship training.
My recently launched Academies Programme will also support Londoners into apprenticeships in sectors key to London’s recovery.

Non-crime hate incidents (1)

Neil Garratt: If someone is reported for a non-crime hate incident, can the Met police make a judgement call to not record this if they think it is spurious or nonsensical? E.g., a recent non-London case of someone being reported for having a Union Jack flag in their car window

The Mayor: In line with guidance from the College of Policing, the MPS records all allegations of hate whether a criminal offence has been committed or not. An initial investigation will establish whether a criminal offence has taken place. Where there is no criminal offence, but the person reporting perceives that the incident was motivated wholly or partially by hostility, the incident will be recorded as a non-crime hate incident.
Police officers may also identify a non-crime hate incident, even where no victim or witness has done so.
People are not criminalised over non-crime incidents but recording them helps the police to build an intelligence picture regarding community tensions and the risks of incidents escalating into hate crimes.

Combating Climate Change (2)

Leonie Cooper: How much of a difference would these small changes make if implemented by 25%, 50% or 75% of Londoners?

The Mayor: It is clear that we all need to play a part in tackling the climate crisis if we are to avoid the most catastrophic impacts. I’m doing all in my power to reduce London’s emissions and wider impact on the environment as part of my 2030 net zero target.
MQ3386 illustrates the impact consumer action and choices could have if adopted widely. The assumptions behind the modelling can be found in the Climate Change Committee report on the sixth carbon budget.

Combating Climate Change (1)

Leonie Cooper: A recent study by the Behavioural Insights Team suggested that many people are willing to make small changes to the way they live in order to combat climate change. Which small changes would you like to see Londoners make?

The Mayor: The Committee on Climate Change sixth carbon budget emphasises the importance of citizens. Looking forward to 2035, they estimate that round 40% of the savings required by 2035 nationally need consumer action (such as driving an electric car or installing low carbon heating) and 15% require consumer choices such as reducing their demand and improving efficiency. That could include improving food diets, reducing the growing demand for aviation and choosing products that last longer and can be repaired.
But many simple actions can already be taken, and I will be engaging with Londoners through various programmes of activity in the lead up to COP26 I want to see more Londoners make sustainable choices, such as choosing active travel and adopting more circular approaches to consumption.

Supporting London’s Green Industries

Leonie Cooper: In response to question 2021/0276 you stated that a research project was being undertaken to understand how and where the GLA can best support London’s green industries. Please provide an update on this project and its recommendations for the GLA.

The Mayor: There are two ongoing research projects that are looking at green industries across the economy. Both of these will be published in the autumn.
The first, undertaken by GLA Economics, is looking at the impacts of the transition to a low carbon circular or greener economy and the changes this could have to work and worker requirements across a wide range of occupations and sectors.
The other is looking into current green skills provision delivered through the adult education budget (AEB) funding. This will provide an analysis of green skills and qualifications delivered through AEB funding, where need is likely to grow, and where gaps exist in current provision.

National Tree Week (2)

Leonie Cooper: What plans are there for additional tree planting during National Tree Week?

The Mayor: Tree planting will take place across London this planting season, linked to COP26, the Queen’s Green Canopy and National Tree Week. Community groups and schools will be receiving free packs of trees from TCV, The Woodland Trust and The Tree Council. GLA officers are working with the organisations in the London Urban Forest Partnership to help co-ordinate and promote these events and opportunities to Londoners.
If my bid to theUrbanTreeChallengeFund is successful, I will also be working with boroughs to commence the plantingof around7,000 street treesacross Londonin National Tree Week.

National Tree Week (1)

Leonie Cooper: How will London be participating in National Tree Week in 2021?

The Mayor: Several organisations in the London Urban Forest Partnership will be holding tree planting events during National Tree Week. Free packs of trees are available for community groups who would like to hold their own planting events through TCV’s ‘I Dig Trees’ scheme. We will be providing advice to Londoners on how they can get involved with National Tree Week and help plant and care for trees.
London will be celebrating National Tree Week by announcing the winners of this year’s London Tree and Woodland Awards 2021, which I support with the Forestry Commission.

Air Quality and London’s Road Charging Schemes

Leonie Cooper: You committed in your manifesto to monitor existing road-charging schemes to ensure they continue to bring the maximum benefits of improved air quality and reduced congestion. What would trigger an intervention?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) continually monitor the effectiveness of the existing road user charging schemes and monitoring data is included in the annual Travel in London report.
I am committed to ensuring that London’s air quality continues to improve while also reducing congestion. As part of this, I brought forward the introduction of the central London Ultra Low Emission Zone by a year and proposed its expansion to an area 18 times larger, which will take place in October.
In addition, last year, as part of the Government funding agreement, TfL was required to bring forward proposals to widen the scope and level of the Congestion Charge. Since June 2020, the charge has been in effect seven days a week until 10pm. It is right that we now review the Congestion Charge to ensure it meets our long-term objectives for central London and supports a green and equitable recovery. The consultation on new Congestion Charge proposals is open until 6 October and can be found here: https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/congestion-charge-changes

Pride (2)

Marina Ahmad: Constituents have noted that Pride in London has faced a number of issues, including sponsors pulling out and members resigning. Would an alternative organisation ever be considered to run Pride celebrations in London?

The Mayor: Pride in London was awarded a grant to support the delivery of Pride celebrations in London for a 5-year period that ends in 2022. The funding for future Pride events will be awarded based on a competitive tender process.

Mental health of police officers

Unmesh Desai: How many Met police officers have reported mental health issues in each of the last 4 years including 2021 to date? Please also advise how many of these took time off work for mental health reasons.

The Mayor: The first row of the table below shows the number of Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) police officers referred to Occupational Health (OH) for mental health related matters.
The second row shows the number of officer and staff that contacted the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). EAP was introduced in 2019 as a self-referral helpline for emotional wellbeing and mental health support. This is a confidential helpline so officers and staff cannot be separated.
2018
2019
2020
2021
(to date/ Aug)
OH Referrals
(officers)
782
1666
2127
1494
EAP
(Officers & Staff)
-
586
1382
976
The table below shows the number of MPS police officers who had at least one absence relating to psychological issues.
2018
2019
2020
2021
(to date/Aug)
1147
1307
1191
808
Note these two data sets are independent and should be not linked – it is not possible to say how many officers referred to OH were also absent from work.

Active Travel for Londoners with Disabilities (1)

Leonie Cooper: How are Londoners with mobility impairments involved in the process for planning active modes of transport to ensure that their needs are provided for?

The Mayor: Designing and managing a transport network that is accessible to all Londoners is at the heart of the Healthy Streets Approach and the Mayor’s Transport Strategy.
Transport for London (TfL) follows an inclusive design approach when developing walking and cycling infrastructure and has design guidance, tools and processes to ensure streets are designed and managed to be accessible by all. Some of this guidance, on types of infrastructure particularly pertinent for older and disabled Londoners, has been developed with organisations representing them. TfL must also complete an Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) for all of its street schemes.
In addition, TfL seeks input from disability groups and individuals through public consultation and engagement activities to ensure its schemes consider the needs of the local community and groups with protected characteristics.
This includes post-implementation feedback. For example, in 2020 the emergency nature of the Streetspace for London programme meant TfL was not able to consult widely before implementing each scheme. However, residents and stakeholders were able to share their feedback and experience of the schemes, which was used to determine whether or not improvements needed to be made. That feedback is currently being used as part of the reviews of those schemes introduced under the programme, to inform designs for retaining the schemes experimentally or permanently.
TfL is also working closely with older and disabled people’s organisations to monitor and assess the impact of innovative infrastructure such as Shared Use Bus Boarders and Stepped Cycle Tracks. This will help shape future design guidance.
In addition to ongoing customer research and working with local communities to better understand their needs, TfL facilitates the Inclusive Transport Forum and Independent Disability Advisory Group – both of which play an important role in their policy and programme development.
TfL has made great progress on accessibility and inclusion in recent years, but of course there’s more to do. TfL remains fully committed to working with London’s diverse communities to drive further improvements by embedding inclusivity in everything that it does, including the way it delivers active travel schemes for Londoners.

Combating Climate Change (3)

Leonie Cooper: How will you be supporting and encouraging Londoners to make these changes?

The Mayor: It is vital that we are considering the changes that we can make to tackle the climate crisis, from London’s businesses, residents and government. COP26 represents an opportunity to highlight the leading role that London is playing internationally in tackling the climate crisis, but also represents an opportunity to engage with Londoners about individual actions that can be taken.
In the lead up COP26 in Glasgow I will be delivering a programme of online and in person engagement, including information on what programmes are being delivered in London to tackle climate change and what Londoners can do to contribute. This will allow Londoners to make informed decisions about actions that they can take, and information on support offered by City Hall.

Protected cycle route on Tooting Bec Road

Caroline Pidgeon: In response to question 2020/3789 it was stated: "Prior to the recent pandemic, TfL had decided to reassess this particular corridor to ensure that any scheme delivered would complement the existing and proposed cycle network in the area." Please share the assessment that is referred to.

The Mayor: The coronavirus pandemic meant that Transport for London (TfL) paused work on the pedestrian and cycle project on Tooting Bec Road - along with the majority of its Investment Programme - while teams were diverted to rapid delivery of temporary on-street measures, to facilitate social distancing and support active travel.
TfL has re-started some of the safety-critical investment projects that were underway before the pandemic. My response to Mayor’s Question 2021/3638 explains that there are 520 other stretches of road where the Excess Harm is the same or greater than Tooting Bec Road. The Tooting Bec Road pedestrian and cycle project remains paused subject to confirmation of future government funding in December 2021, at which stage prioritisation of locations for Healthy Streets investment will be undertaken.
TfL and I remain committed to delivering walking and cycle improvements in the area and are progressing the pedestrian and cycle improvements on Streatham Hill (https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2021/january/tfl-moves-forward-with-plans-to-transform-streatham-hill-for-walking-and-cycling) and optimising the CS7 upgrade that was delivered during the pandemic.

Digital support for older Londoners (2)

Zack Polanski: Will you coordinate the London-wide provision of long-term programmes to make high quality and appropriate devices available to older people who need them?

The Mayor: As part of the London Recovery Programme,London Councils and I have prioritisedDigital Access for Allas one of the missions to ensurethat ‘Every Londoner has access to good connectivity, basic digital skills and the device or support they need to be online by 2025.’
As part of this,I am supportingthe London Office of Technology and Innovationto deliver the Digital Inclusion Innovation Programme. A key part of that programme is researchingthe requirements of a‘minimum access package’, to understand how best to meet individuals’ essential device, data and skills needs.

Initial projects include examining device upcycling from large employers to increase the supply of devices to those who need them and work on a comprehensive map of digital inclusion to enhance the reach of initiatives.

London-wide Anti-Littering Campaign

Hina Bokhari: Littering is an ever-present and increasing issue in many parts of London, particularly during the summer months when people spend more time outside and in public spaces. Littering does not only affect the aesthetics of our beautiful city, but also impacts on the creatures and wildlife that live here. A hard-hitting and London-wide publicity campaign on the impacts of littering could have a real impact on littering levels. What consideration have you given to co-ordinating a London-wide anti-littering campaign?

The Mayor: London’s boroughs are responsible for the management of litter across the capital. All boroughs have now produced Reduction and Recycling Plans (RRPs), as required by my London Environment Strategy, many of which include actions on littering and public bins such as community litter picks, campaigns and on-street recycling bin provision. Through these plans I am urging boroughs to reduce waste, including litter, and find opportunities to recycle as much waste as possible including on the go recycling on streets and in parks.
I am aware thatin order to reduce litter and fly tippingLondon Councils havecarried out some research and pilots in conjunction with Keep Britain Tidy, including a pilot in Newham to educate and engage residents about the problem of fly-tipping and what to do with their bulky waste.I will continue to support boroughs to discourage people from littering and participate in initiatives such as Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean, which I promoted and my Deputy Mayor took an active role in. My officers will also continue to work with Parks for London who are supporting parks managers to share best practice on tackling litter in our green spaces.

‘Lift the Ban’ Campaign

Hina Bokhari: Are you taking actions to support the Refugee Council's 'Lift the Ban' campaign?

The Mayor: It is unacceptable that people seeking asylum are left in limbo for too long without the ability to work, sometimes for years and I therefore support the aims of the Lift the Ban campaign. I have long been urging the Government publicly and privately to make policy changes to remove the barriers asylum seekers and refugees face to contributing to London and the communities in which they live.
We know that relationships built in the workplace increase people’s ability to mix with those from different backgrounds to themselves. Exclusion from these opportunities can generate negative perceptions of people seeking asylum among British citizens, undermining integration and leading to discrimination. This situation must change.

A London Careers Service and Adult Re-Training Scheme

Hina Bokhari: London First has also recently recommended the creation of a London Careers Service to provide tailored support, guidance, and training courses to those looking for work and a London Adult Retraining Scheme to support employees displaced from their jobs during the pandemic. Do you support these recommendations, and if so, how will you be using your Adult Education Budget and other levers to ensure they are delivered?

The Mayor: I have long argued for a London Careers Service, calling on the Government to devolve or delegate the relevant funding and responsibilities, and completely endorse London First’s recommendation on this.
In the absence of the specific funding and responsibilities we need to establish such a service, we have been using European Social Fund monies and other resources to improve careers provision in London.
In October I will be launching myCareers Hubs programme, which will offerpan London support and resources to bring employers into FE Colleges as well as all London secondary schools and specialist providers.
Beyond this, through my Adult Education Roadmap consultation, we will identify how Adult Education Budget funding can better drive informed employment choices and open up quality opportunities and career pathways to more Londoners.
MyAcademies programme will also provide Londoners with more information on career opportunities in London’s growth sectors.

Mental health of police officers

Unmesh Desai: How often do Metropolitan Police Officers undergo mandatory mental health check-ups as part of their jobs?

The Mayor: Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) psychological monitoring is aligned to the National Police Wellbeing Service which focuses on high-risk roles.
This utilises annual psychological health assessments - six monthly for those in the highest risk roles -and, where deemed necessary, clinical interviews to proactively engage with officers and staff who are about to (or have) undertake potentially traumatic or mentally harmful roles.

Unemployment in London (2)

Marina Ahmad: What action can the Government take to reduce unemployment in London?

The Mayor: Tackling unemployment is central to London’s recovery, and as such I welcome the Government’s overall Plan for Jobs programme.
We are working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions and Job Centre Plus to ensure that skills and employment services in London are supporting Londoners most impacted by the pandemic. This includes working with London Councils and other partners to establish a No Wrong Door approach, helping Londoners most in need to access support tailored to their circumstances.
I have been calling on the Government for a devolved, multi-year, single funding settlement for an integrated skills, work and education system. I’ve also asked ministers to ensure Local Skills Improvement Plans build on the momentum Mayors across the country have already created to ensure skills provision responds to the distinct needs of local areas.

Pride (1)

Marina Ahmad: Many people were disappointed to see London Pride celebrations cancelled again this year, despite the parade not breaching any Covid restrictions. Was this a decision solely made by Pride in London?

The Mayor: Yes, this decision was made solely by Pride in London.

Kickstart job scheme (3)

Marina Ahmad: Can you confirm if a target has been set for the Kickstart Job Scheme in London, and if so, what it is?

The Mayor: The Government expects the Kickstart Scheme to create more than 250,000 jobs in the UK by December 2021. The government has not set regional targets for the scheme.

Kickstart job scheme (2)

Marina Ahmad: Do you have a borough-by-borough breakdown of the Kickstart job scheme figures for London? If not, can you secure this information?

The Mayor: A borough-by-borough breakdown of Kickstart placements is not currently publicly available.
London Councils and I will continue to ask the Department for Work and Pensions for this data to enable us to help more Londoners into work and support the capital’s recovery.

Tooting Bec Road (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: Is the Casualty Harm rate and Excess Harm data (that is referenced MQ 2020/4248) for Tooting Bec Road low enough to meet the Vision Zero goals?

The Mayor: Vision Zero is an ambitious goal which will require constant effort by a wide range of stakeholders, including Transport for London (TfL), the boroughs, policing partners and Londoners, to drive down risk to the level where no one is killed or injured.
The Excess Harm analysis is one of the analytical tools TfL uses to help direct its efforts to the areas most in need of attention, but these tools are not the solution in themselves. This tool is designed to benchmark road stretches against the network average highlighting where risk may be high and where specific interventions may be merited.
This allows TfL, London’s boroughs and other delivery partners such as the Metropolitan Police Service, to react accordingly to reduce road risk using measures set out in the Vision Zero action plan, including specific interventions, projects and programmes to help make London’s streets safer. This approach is consistent with the evidence-based and targeted approach TfL is taking to Vision Zero.

Tooting Bec Road (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: What isthe Casualty Harm Rate and Excess Harm data that is referenced in MQ 2020/4248 for Tooting Bec Road?

The Mayor: Tooting Bec Road covers multiple stretches of road used in the Casualty Harm Rate and Excess Harm analysis, referenced in Mayor’s Question 2020/4248.
Transport for London (TfL) estimates harm by weighting casualties based on injury severity and annual average daily traffic flows to determine total harm for each location.
The average Casualty Harm for Tooting Bec Road is 73 harm per kilometre of road, and the average Excess Harm is 18 harm per kilometre of road. As Excess Harm is the additional harm observed per road segment compared to the expected harm, this means that Tooting Bec Road exhibits higher harm than the network average. There are over 520 road stretches with the same or higher risk scores. This is out of 1,721 total road stretches analysed.
As part of our Vision Zero target to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on London’s roads, we are continuing to work to reduce risk across London. This includes lowering speeds, working with boroughs to reduce road danger through Local Implementation Plans, redesigning the most dangerous junctions, working with the Metropolitan Police Service, and promoting the safest vehicles.

Kew Foot Road Probation Centre (2)

Nicholas Rogers: Are you or MOPAC aware of any public safety plan or risk assessment following the opening of a new Probation Centre at 26 Kew Foot Road, Richmond, if so, please can you share the details?

The Mayor: Since the opening of the new Probation Office (25 Kew Foot Road, Richmond), London Probation Service has had ongoing consultation with local residents and business representatives. I have been advised by London Probation that the standard Ministry of Justice process for establishing a new probation office has been followed in this case. Any requests about the assessments carried out should be directed to the London Probation Service.

Digital support for older Londoners (1)

Zack Polanski: Will you bring together internet providers to support the creation of free or genuinely affordable social tariffs that meet the specific needs of older Londoners, so they are not left behind by the digital world.

The Mayor: I am pleased to see that providers have been proactively establishing social tariffs for Londoners and beyond. At present, BT and Virgin Media O2 only allow those on Universal Credit to be eligible for a more affordable tariff.Hyperopticand Community Fibre have opened theirtariffstoinclude a widerrange of LondonersandHyperoptichasspecifically includedolder Londonersin receipt ofPension Creditamong the groups who canapply.TalkTalkarealsoworking directly with the Department for Work and Pensionstosupport job seekerswith a grant to offset broadband costsandI’m aware that other London providerstoo are gearing up to provide their ownsocialtariffs.
As part of the London Recovery Programme, London Councils and I have prioritised Digital Access for All as one of the missions to ensure that ‘Every Londoner has access to good connectivity, basic digital skills and the device or support they need to be online by 2025.’ As part of this, my Chief Digital Officer and the GLA’s Connected London team continue to meet with telecom providers to better understand their social tariff offers and work with providers to help shape their offers for those Londoners who need it the most.

Cycle lanes by level of protection

Siân Berry: How many kilometres of cycle lanes does Transport for London (TfL) have on the roads within its control, and could you classify them by level of protection – on-road protected, off carriageway (on pavement), off carriageway (shared use pavement), and on road unprotected lanes?

The Mayor: Transport for London’s (TfL’s) existing database of cycling infrastructure does not currently hold detailed information of the type you have requested. However, I have asked TfL to respond to you directly and to advise what information it can collate.

Northern Line Extension Noise

Marina Ahmad: Residents are reporting high levels of noise due to the work on the Northern Line Extension. What actions are being taken to mitigate this disruption?

The Mayor: Works on the Northern Line Extension have been largely completed, with the project now in the testing and trial operations phase. Transport for London (TfL) is not aware of any current residential noise complaints relating to Northern Line Extension works. It has, however, received track noise complaints in the Kennington area, which have been investigated using noise measurements taken in residential properties, and attributed to track points on the existing Northern line. There are no obvious faults to the track to explain why noise became more apparent in June 2020. TfL has made a number of engineering interventions but, regrettably, has so far been unable to mitigate the noise for residents. The site remains under review.

Solar uptake in London boroughs

Siân Berry: Statistics from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Renewable Energy by Local Authority, 2014-19 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/regional-renewable-statistics) show that the number of solar PV installations across London’s boroughs varies widely. What are you doing in addition to the Solar Together scheme to work with those boroughs with very low levels of installations and increase them?

The Mayor: There are a range of reasons for varying levels of installations across boroughs, including types and tenures of properties. I continue to increase installations in boroughs with lower uptake through a range of actions:

'Roofs designed to cool’ programme

Siân Berry: The timescale of ADD2488says a finalised report for your Roofs designed to cool programme will be produced in February 2021, and that the project will be closed in March 2021. Could you provide me with the report and any associated findings?

The Mayor: In the autumn of 2020, ADD2488 was approved to procure the services of a supplier to carry out work to establish an evidence base and implementation mechanism for cooling London’s existing homes and buildings, and reducing intensification of the urban heat island (UHI) effect. The work would have also explored opportunities to support jobs.
Following a poor response to the initial invitation to tender, in discussions with the market, it became clear the brief was for two separate pieces of work requiring different skill sets. As a result, the value of the works was increased from £20,000 to £40,000 to reflect the wide scope and attract a wider pool of suppliers. An ADD2354 was prepared to reflect the additional value. This was submitted to the Greater London Authority’s Corporate Investment Board (CIB) on 6th September 2021 and approved. It is anticipated that the work will be completed by March 2022.

Live Facial Recognition deployments

Unmesh Desai: How many missing persons have been identified through the use of Live Facial Recognition in London? Please provide the breakdown by year if possible.

The Mayor: To date, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) have not sought to locate missing persons using live facial recognition policy. The MPS’s use of live facial recognition technology to locate a person on a watchlist is in line with its policy documents here: https://www.met.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/media/downloads/force-content/met/advice/lfr/mpf-lfr-guidance-document-v1-0.pdf.

Taxicard bookings cancelled by operators

Siân Berry: A constituent has shared data with me that appears to show a high number of Taxicard bookings are cancelled by operators after they are made. Can you reassure me that Transport for London (TfL) ensures these cancelled journeys are not counted either as part of a disabled person’s limited number of rides, or as part of the journeys fulfilled by the scheme operator?

The Mayor: Although Transport for London (TfL) is the majority funder of the Taxicard scheme, the scheme itself is managed by London Councils on behalf of the London boroughs. As London Councils manages the service, rather than TfL, it monitors day-to-day performance and manages customer trip budgets.
As with any transport service, there will sometimes be occasions when a Taxicard booking cannot be covered by the service provider (Com Cab London) due to a driver being unavailable to cover the journey. When this happens, London Councils has confirmed that the booking is not counted against a customer’s trip budget or by the service provider. Any customer who wishes to query an instance of this nature is encouraged to contact the Taxicard contact centre, where the matter can be looked into on their behalf.
TfL and London Councils are working together to keep such experiences to a minimum. To this end, as I have previously reported, TfL has facilitated meetings between London Councils, the Taxicard operator and TfL’s Taxi and Private Hire Directorate to help identify ways to improve the supply of taxis in all areas of London.

GLA repairs (2)

Zack Polanski: How does the GLA use its procurement to encourage companies to design and sell products that can be maintained easily via repairs?

The Mayor: The GLA Group Responsible Procurement Policy uses the GLA Group’s £9.5bn annual procurement spend to lead by example, driving a fairer and more environmentally sustainable city. This includes working with our suppliers to encourage them to design and sell products that can be maintained easily via repairs.
For example, the furniture being purchased for The Crystal was selected for durability and repairability.
This work will continue to be promoted through my circular economy guidance for Functional Body procurers published in March 2020 and the 2021-24 GLA Group Responsible Procurement Implementation Plan, which will be published later in this year.

LFB and Renewables (1)

Leonie Cooper: For the last three quarters LFB energy generated through renewable resources has dropped and is currently at 9.6%. What has caused this drop?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade has a range of renewable energy assets across its estate. These include Combined Heat and Power (CHP) and 12 Solar Photovoltaic installations. Since 2011, total carbon emissions in kilograms for all buildings has fallen by 50 per cent.
In the last financial year there has been a 15 per cent reduction in generation from the Brigade’s CHP. This is due to a technical fault which is expected to be resolved in the next three months. However, there has been an overall increase in the generation of energy from renewable assets across LFB’s estate of three per cent which is mainly due to an increase in solar installations.

LFB and Renewables (2)

Leonie Cooper: What plans are in place to increase energy generated through renewable sources?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) is committed to increasing energy generation through renewable sources. The Brigade has an ongoing carbon reduction plan which includes a new Building Management System to optimise energy use and ensure renewable assets are deployed efficiently. In the next 12 months there are plans to install a further 12 Solar Photovoltaic installations. The anticipated increase in renewable generation is expected to be 200kWP (kilowatts peak).
LFB is trialling two air source heat pumps in their estate. They run on completely renewable electrical energy and produce zero carbon emissions with zero harmful exhaust gases.

Night Time Enterprise Zones

Zack Polanski: Since the introduction of the Night Time Enterprise Zone in Waltham Forest what progress has been made to develop a toolkit for high street businesses to help them with marketing and signpost what organisations they can go to for support and funding?

The Mayor: The Night Time Enterprise Zone pilot project ran on Walthamstow High Street between October 2019 and January 2020.
The pilot showed that post-6pm activation can be as rewarding and profitable for businesses as daytime activity. The pilot boosted footfall on the high street by 22 per cent, 64 per cent of businesses reported seeing new customers, 60 per cent reported being busier than usual and 90 per cent reported that they would participate in similar events again in the future.
Following the pilot, Waltham Forest is developing a toolkit for businesses. This will give a step-by-step guide to encourage more businesses to operate after 6pm, and to outline the key considerations for businesses wanting to operate at night. The toolkit is due to be published by the end of the year.
A report containing the recommendations from the pilot project was published in March 2021 and can be viewed on the Mayor of London website. Learnings from the pilot have also been shared with the London-wide Night Time Borough Champions Network.
https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/200918_walthamstow_ntez_final_for_publication_1.pdf.

Building Safety Fund (1)

Anne Clarke: How many grants have been made from this fund to date?

The Mayor: As of 26 August 2021, a total of £39,734,111 has been paid to Building Safety Fund applicants. We have approved 66 payments.

Active Travel for Londoners with Disabilities (2)

Leonie Cooper: How are you supporting Londoners with disabilities who wish to use active travel safely in order to make journeys?

The Mayor: Designing and managing streets that are accessible to all Londoners is at the heart of the Healthy Streets Approach and my Transport Strategy.
Transport for London (TfL) has developed a suite of design guidance and tools (e.g. London Cycling Design Standards, Quality Criteria, Healthy Streets Check for Designers) to ensure its schemes and those developed by partners are inclusive and built to a high standard. Londoners and disability groups are also engaged and consulted through the scheme development process.
TfL’s schemes and policies are systematically assessed against their impact on groups with protected characteristics through the Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) process and TfL provides guidance to London boroughs on doing this for their schemes.
TfL also supports disability groups and individuals taking up active travel. The Walking and Cycling Grant London scheme addresses barriers to walking and cycling amongst traditionally under-represented groups. The application window opened earlier this summer for more than £500,000 for community and not-for-profit groups, including those working with people with disabilities.
TfL also provides one-on-one advice and support to people with disabilities through its Travel Mentoring service, which has recently been expanded to include walking and walking substitutes in addition to the existing service for public transport users.

Active Travel for Londoners with Disabilities (3)

Leonie Cooper: How are you working with TfL and other partners to ensure that Londoners with disabilities are not cut off from local services and amenities and are able to access them with the same ease?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor’s Question 2021/3389.

Electric Cargo Bikes and London (1)

Leonie Cooper: The recent report ‘The Promise of Low-Carbon Freight: Benefits of cargo bikes in London,’ found that electric cargo bikes deliver faster and are cleaner than vans, producing 90% less emissions compared to diesel vans. Is it realistic for electric cargo bikes to replace more polluting vehicles in the capital?

The Mayor: Home deliveries have increased significantly in recent years, as a result of the rise of e-commerce and the Covid-19 pandemic. I believe that cargo bikes have a growing role to play in London in replacing some trips currently made by vans.
Transport for London (TfL) is working with the freight industry to reduce the adverse impacts of freight traffic. As part of my Civic Innovation Fund, TfL’s FreightLab project is trialling approaches to implementing green last mile delivery concepts, including cargo bikes. TfL has also worked with several Business Improvement Districts to fund trials of cargo bike schemes. For example, the Hammersmith BID "Parcels not Pollution" scheme signed up 125 businesses to a cargo bike scheme, making over 3,600 deliveries and saving over 788kg of CO2 emissions. I am also thrilled to see London’s first public cargo-bike rental service launching in Hackney, as part of the Zero Emission Network that I have funded.
In addition, TfL is researching changing uses and vacant land resulting from the pandemic to identify opportunities for logistics as part of the green recovery.

Cycling and Walking transition

Leonie Cooper: How will you further be supporting a transition to walking and cycling and encouraging Londoners to reduce carbon emissions through a move away from vehicles powered by fossil fuels?

The Mayor: My Transport Strategy sets out an ambitious long-term plan to reduce Londoners’ dependency on cars in favour of increased walking, cycling and public transport use in line with the Healthy Streets Approach. Reducing road transport emissions through mode shift to sustainable modes will be key to delivering my aim for London to be a zero carbon city by 2030.
Over the past five years, Transport for London has worked closely with London boroughs to deliver an ambitious and wide-ranging programme of initiatives to make active travel more attractive to all Londoners, guided by my Walking and Cycling Action Plans. We have also delivered the London Streetspace Plan in response to the pandemic, seeking to avoid a car-led recovery by ensuring that walking, cycling and public transport offer safe and attractive choices for Londoners.
Supporting Londoners to shift their journeys to sustainable modes will continue to be a priority in my second term, in support of the long term objectives outlined in my Transport Strategy.

Improving London’s Circular Economy (1)

Leonie Cooper: What assessment has been made of the circular economy supply chains in London?

The Mayor: In 2017, ReLondon, a statutory partnership of the Mayor of London and London boroughs, created the first London circular economy route map, analysing the state of London’s supply chains in terms of waste creation and material use, and assessing the opportunities for developing more circular business models. This has informed subsequent work across five priority sectors (the built environment, textiles, food, plastics and electricals) and has included support to over 250 SMEs working with circular supply chains.
Currently, ReLondon is undertaking research to map material flows across London and their associated carbon impact, beginning with food, which has the highest consumption-based emissions. Key points across the supply chain will be identified where the most impactful interventions can be made to reduce emissions. This research will inform actions taken as part of London’s Food Flagship Initiative, ensuring that key stakeholders focus on activities that will deliver the most impact on consumption based emissions . A material flow analysis will also be conducted across the other four priority sectors.

Improving London’s Circular Economy (2)

Leonie Cooper: How can the circular economy support London’s recovery from the pandemic and create new green jobs?

The Mayor: It is estimated that by 2036, the circular economy could provide up to 40,000 new jobs (12,000 net additional jobs) in the capital (https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/lsdc_et_al_-_circular_economy_jobs_report_2015.pdf)
By tapping into the circular economy, businesses can open up new revenue streams or reduce costs, paving the way for future business growth with reduced waste and a better environmental impact. In its first year, my Green New Deal fund is investing £10m in programmes that support around 1,000 green jobs, including £1.8 million of funding to the Better Futures and ReLondon Business Transformation Programmes that support the growth of circular and sustainable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In the first six months of the programme, the money has supported 139 SMEs and will support at least another 60 before the end of the programme in March 2022 This will enable more diverse communities to access grants and internship programmes, to develop new circular business models and to create new jobs, as well as safeguarding existing ones.
Please also see MQ2021/3397.

Improving London’s Circular Economy (3)

Leonie Cooper: How has Green New Deal funding been used to support the circular economy and opportunities for skilled new jobs within it?

The Mayor: The Mayor’s Green New Deal fund is investing £10m in programmes that support around 1,000 green jobs. This year the fund included £1.8m for the Better Futures business programme and ReLondon’s Business Transformation Programme to support cleantech and circular SMEs.
SMEs can apply for free advice on how to cut waste, increase revenue and reduce costs through circular business models. ReLondon has recently awarded grants of up to £15,000 to pilot circular economy business models that could grow business and create new jobs.
As part of London’s wider recovery programme, the Green New Deal will also link with the Helping Londoners into Good Work mission to develop a green skills academy. This will develop training to help build London’s skills base to meet the growing demand for green jobs, including in the circular economy. The Mayor will also be launching an Adult Education Budget recovery fund to support training in London’s key growth sectors, including low carbon.

Work Placements for Young Londoners

Hina Bokhari: Under-25s in London suffered 60% of Covid job losses. Work placements are one of the best ways to get young people into employment, helping them gain practical experience, improve their CVs, and connect them with potential employers. How many work placements did young Londoners attend in the last 12 months, and how are you working with businesses to increase this number and provide people with the opportunities, resources, and confidence to take this first step into the world of work?

The Mayor: COVID-19 prevented schools from delivering their traditional work experience programmes last year, so I provided over 130 small, rapid grants to London’s schools, FE colleges, Alternative Provision and special schools to enable innovative, COVID-19 secure experience of the workplace, to support 50,000 young Londoners.
My new Academies Hubs will bring together training providers, employers and other relevant organisations operating in priority sectors (creative, digital, health, hospitality and green). Hubs will help develop and coordinate London’s offer of high-quality training, work experience and wider employment support and can be accessed by Londoners aged 16 and over.
We have also funded Careers Clusters projects, working with secondary schools, post-16 and FE colleges to provide nearly 4,000 work placements and internships for young Londoners.
My HeadStart Action and Head2Work projects have supported over 600 young Londoners to access employability training, career mentoring and other education and employability experiences.

Changes to Healthcare Arrangements in Custody Suites (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: Given it has now been five months since the Met changed the arrangements for healthcare provision in custody suites to adopt a nurse-led model are there any plans to review the impact of these changes on healthcare provision?

The Mayor: The new healthcare model was implemented on 1st May 2021. The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) will be undertaking a review in November 2021, at the six-month stage.

Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse

Susan Hall: How many files have been provided to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse? If possible, please also provide the number of pages submitted.

The Mayor: 9,749 files were provided electronically. There were also a limited number of large files which were viewed by IICSA Lawyers at Cam Road, because they were too big to be passed electronically. This would have been less than 10.
Due to the configuration of the documents provided it is not possible to provide an estimate of how many pages this would constitute without returning to each individual submission.

UCPI

Susan Hall: How many files have been provided to the Undercover Policing Inquiry? If possible, please also provide the number of pages submitted.

The Mayor: As of 1 September 2021, the Metropolitan Police Service has disclosed some 81,000 documents and electronic exhibits to the Inquiry, totalling more than 609,000 pages.

Improving Internet Access for Over 65s

Tony Devenish: With Age UK’s “Mind the Digital Gap” report highlighting that one in four Londoners over 65 reported they would like to use the internet more, what actions are you taking to improve internet access for Londoners over 65?

The Mayor: As part of the London Recovery Programme,London Councils and I have prioritisedDigital Access for Allas one of the missions to ensurethat ‘Every Londoner has access to good connectivity, basic digital skills and the device or support they need to be online by 2025.’
I am supporting the London Office of Technology and Innovation on the Digital Inclusion Innovation Programme to provide data on the level of need, design and test ways to address key barriers that stop people accessing the support that exists.
The Skills and Employment unit is using Adult Education Budget to establish an Essential Digital Skills Entitlement. The Adult Education Roadmap for London is currently being consulted on that, this sets out how I will use the devolved AEB to ensure skills and employment opportunities are more accessible, impactful and locally relevant through investing in physical and digital learning spaces.
TheGLA’sConnected London Programme supportsthe mission’s workand aimsto improve digital connectivity in under-served homes and areas. The team is coordinating thedelivery of £31.4m of grant funding forupgrading buildings to deliver new digital services acrossLondon,including £10m that I have allocated from the GLA’s Strategic Investment Fund, £6m from Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, and £15.4m allocated to the boroughs through the Strategic Investment Pot. The Connected London team are working with Transport for London (TfL) and London’s local authorities to identify priority sites.

Older Londoners without Internet

Tony Devenish: Age UK’s “Mind the Digital Gap” report, highlighted that 200,000 Londoners over 75 currently do not use the internet at all. What actions are you taking to ensure that those who are unable or choose not to use the internet are not disadvantaged when it comes to accessing support and services as London recovers from the pandemic?

The Mayor: Bridging the digital divide is a complex challenge, covering connectivity, affordability, basic skills and access to a device.As part of the London Recovery Programme, London Councils and I have prioritised Digital Access for All as one of the missions to ensure that ‘Every Londoner has access to good connectivity, basic digital skills and the device or support they need to be online by 2025.’
I have allocated £1.5 million over the next two years to work with the London Office of Technology and Innovation (LOTI) on the Digital Inclusion Innovation Programme to improve data on need, innovate in the supply of devices and data packages and scale good practice across London. Our ambition is a new digital access pathway for Londoners to access the skills, device or other support they needand developing a 'minimum access package' for Londoners through a series of programmes run by LOTI and working with boroughs and others.
As part of this work,dialogue withlocal authorities, service providers andcharitiessuch asAge UKis underwaytobetter understand howtheycanbesupported toprovide services to those whochoose not to use the internet.

GLA Buildings

Tony Devenish: Will you eliminate all GLA “gas guzzler” buildings rated F and G by January 2023?

The Mayor: The current City Hall DEC rating is D and the new City Hall at the Crystalhas BREEAM Outstanding accreditation. The new City Hall is a flagship for sustainability and energy efficiency. The current City Hall and the new City Hall also use 100% green energy.

Work Experience Opportunities for Young Londoners

Hina Bokhari: Work experience for young people was significantly impacted by COVID-19. How are you working to ensure increased work placements across London in the years ahead for those young people who have missed out over the last 18 months?

The Mayor: In October we will launch the London Careers Hubs to develop better workplace-led careers education for all London secondary schools, FE colleges, AlternativeProvidersand specialschools. This will be supported by a complementary programme to work with London employers to deliver employability activities with schools and colleges in the Hubs.
Young Londoners with SEND in FE colleges will be supported with employer-led careers activities to broaden aspirations and improve destinations.
My Effective Transitions Fund, supported by the Careers and Enterprise Company, will support better and sustained destinations for young black men leaving alternative provision using employer-led careers activities.
22 Young Londoners Fund projects also offer activities that include experience of the world ofwork, reaching over 3,000 young people. For example, Serious About Youth’s project ‘The Market’ gives opportunities for young people with offending histories to become entrepreneurial and test out their business ideas on market stalls.

Concerns over the Ending of the Universal Credit Uplift

Hina Bokhari: With over one million Londoners claiming Universal Credit at present, do you share my concerns over the potential impact that the abrupt end to the uplift in September will have on families and individuals across London?

The Mayor: Yes. The £20 uplift to Universal Credit has provided much-needed support to more than a million Londoners during the pandemic. The increase was long overdue, as years of cuts had left benefits well below the genuine cost of living.
Withdrawing the uplift on the last day of the furlough scheme, while there is still unprecedented economic uncertainty and households face rising living costs, will have a devastating impact on Londoners.
Later this month, I will publish research carried out by the University of Essex assessing the effects of the pandemic on financial hardship in London, including projections of the impact of withdrawing the uplift to Universal Credit. Once published I will share the findings with Government Ministers and civil servants and call on them to take action where appropriate.

The Economic Recovery in Central London

Hina Bokhari: In March you published the findings of commissioned research on the economic future of the Central Activities Zone (CAZ). The research found that while “central London’s ecosystem is well placed to recover strongly”, the strength of recovery will be dependent on people returning to the city centre for activities such as work, study, leisure and tourism. Alongside the Let’s Do London campaign and London Recovery Board ‘High Streets’ mission, what plans do you have to aid central London recovery over the coming months and years?

The Mayor: The Economic Future of the Central Activity Zone (CAZ) research produced a comprehensive set of policy recommendations to support central London’s recovery - from enabling high quality place-making and affordable homes, to supporting innovation in the arts, entertainment and business, and generating economic opportunities for all Londoners.
My ‘Let’s Do London’ campaign is addressing the key short-term recommendation of the report which is to attract people back into central London and support economic activities which rely on face face-to-face interaction including hospitality, retail and culture.
In addition, my London Covid Business Forum has set out a roadmap to support London’s economic recovery over a 12 month period. It can be found here: https://www.london.gov.uk/publications/roadmap-safe-and-full-reopening-londons-economy-next-12-months
Over the coming term I will work with the CAZ boroughs, communities and businesses to agree a set of a shared medium to longer term strategic priorities to ensure a strong central London recovery.

Measuring the Success of the ‘Let’s Do London’ Campaign

Hina Bokhari: How are you measuring the success of the Let’s Do London campaign, particularly considering the need to identify areas in London’s economy that may need additional support?

The Mayor: My Let’s Do Londoncampaign has a comprehensive evaluation programme to measure performance against its objectives. London & Partners are measuring the impact of the campaign on public confidence by tracking people’s intentions to take a trip to London (a day trip or short overnight trips). Results already show that audiences who recall the campaign are more than twice as likely to visit London.
The campaign also tracks footfall in London and expenditure data. The Let’s Do London programme is informed by this research and targets ‘cold spots’ of activity across the Central Activities Zone. Mid-August saw the highest average daytime visitor numbers since 19 July reopening, with weekend visitor levels at 86 per cent of the usual rate and weekdays at 62 per cent. Campaign engagement is also monitored. The campaign has so far successfully generated over 1,000 media articles and 3 million #LetsDoLondon hashtag engagements.

Investing in Support for Transferrable Roles for those Working in Areas such as Decarbonisation

Hina Bokhari: How are you planning to help and support Londoners working in decarbonisation-focussed roles to transition into transferable roles, once their role has been completed? For example, after the completion of retrofitting London’s buildings and boilers, how will you support these skilled workers into roles ensuring their skills and expertise are not lost?

The Mayor: Meeting the challenge of achieving net zero carbon across existing buildings will require the creation of green jobs and upskilling Londoners in existing roles. I am confident that many of these jobs – for example, heat pump installers and electricians – will continue to be in demand, both before and after London’s transition to a zero carbon city. Londoners reskilling into decarbonising roles will also develop key transferable skills and knowledge well suited to a green economy.
It is important that employers play a lead role in identifying and shaping skills provision in the capital to ensure training leads to good job opportunities. Partnership working between employers and training providers is at the centre of my Academies Programme which includes the Green sector. I will ensure that this approach continues to shape Adult Education Budget (AEB) delivery, supporting Londoners into good jobs with long term career opportunities.

Supporting Sectors in Net Zero

Hina Bokhari: How are you using your powers and levers to support our leading sectors as they look to grow their offerings to support Net Zero, such as skills development in green finance?

The Mayor: Using part of the Adult Education Budget (AEB), I issued the Good Work for All Fund earlier this year. This provided additional funding to high quality training proposals in Green and other sectors identified in the London Recovery Programme as key to London’s recovery from COVID-19. The funding will support new provision in retrofitting (for example, Regeneration Air Conditioning and Heat Pump Engineering, Energy Efficiency, Understanding Retrofit qualifications).
My Academies Programme will coordinate high quality training, work experience and wider support (e.g. careers advice, mentoring) in Green and other sectors. Procurement for Academy Hubs closes on 24 September 2021. Green Finance is the largest part of London’s Low Carbon Environmental Goods and Services Sector, reflecting the capital’s wider specialism in this area. Applications could be made to deliver green finance skills through the Academy Programme, if a strong rationale and evidence is provided in line with Hub criteria.

Skill Shortages and Attracting Talent to London (1)

Hina Bokhari: One of London’s leading competitive advantages is its ability to attract diverse talent, both domestically and internationally. With recent reports of skills shortages in sectors such as hospitality and HGV drivers as a result of Brexit and the pandemic, please confirm how you will work to ensure London continues to attract the brightest and most diverse talent?

The Mayor: London is a leading global city and will continue to have a relative competitive advantage in attracting skilled and talented people from across the world, but Brexit and a restrictive immigration system have contributed to recruitment challenges in various sectors, including road haulage and hospitality.
Given the urgency and the scale of the challenge the Government should explore all policy levers to ensurethat the immigration system meets our economic needs and helps businesses get back on their feet as quickly as possible. Earlier this yearI backed callsfrom industry bodiesfor a“Covid Recovery Visa”to helpattractinternationalworkersinto key rolesafter lockdown and support the economic recovery. A time-limited visa, targeted at specific job roles, would give businesses breathing space to reopen and maintain critical services, while training UK workers in hard-to-fill vacancies and investing in their existing workforces through better job design.
Disappointingly the Government’s ‘shortage occupation list’, which could also help to ameliorate these problems,includes barely any of the roles that are now urgently needed in sectors like hospitality, construction and haulage. This is whyI amlobbying for London to have devolved powers to fill vacanciesin sectors wherethere areacute shortages,including the ability to create a more demand-led regional list of shortage occupations for London.
In the meantime, I will continue to use the powers I have to support training in London’s key sectors. For example, my Academies Programme will deliver high quality training, work experience and wider support (e.g. careers advice, mentoring) in key sectors, including hospitality. This will support Londoners into good work and career opportunities.

Skill Shortages and Attracting Talent to London (2)

Hina Bokhari: Could you confirm whether you are undertaking any engagement with the Home Office to ensure skills and immigration policies consider the needs of London’s economy?

The Mayor: In 2019, I warned the Home Secretary of City Hall’s analysis showing problems that would be caused by the Government’s new immigration rules on the very sectors that are now struggling to hire. I continue to urge Ministers to review these changes.
In particular, I have backed calls from industry bodies for a “Covid Recovery Visa” to help attract international workers into key roles after lockdown and support the economic recovery.
Central government must take a simpler approach to eligibility for learning. I want to see the removal of the three- year residency requirement for certain categories of immigrant, and more access for Asylum Seekers. The Government should also expand its ‘shortage occupation list’, to include more hospitality, construction and haulage roles.
Finally, I am lobbying for London to have devolved powers to fill vacancies in sectors where there are acute shortages, including the ability to create our own dynamic shortage occupation list.

Accessible Cycling (1)

Elly Baker: Local Transport Note 1/20’s ‘cycle design vehicle’ is similar to London Cycling Design Standards concept of ‘the inclusive cycle’. Can you update me on your review of the implications of the changes made in LTN 1/20 and whether the ‘inclusive cycle’ guidance needs to be updated?

The Mayor: As set out in LTN 1/20 Cycle Infrastructure Design guidance, local authorities and Transport for London (TfL) are responsible for setting design standards for their roads. Much of the LTN 1/20 was based on TfL’s London Cycling Design Standards (LCDS) and so is largely aligned with our existing guidance.
Key design factors for non-standard cycles such as indicative dimensions are comparable between LCDS and LTN 1/20. TfL and the boroughs benefit from having guidance tailored for the London context, which links with wider London policy documents, including the London Plan. TfL intends to update LCDS accordingly where there are additional recommendations in LTN 1/20 that TfL has evidence to support.

Accessible Cycling (2)

Elly Baker: Can you confirm that all TfL branded cycle routes (cycleways, cycle superhighways and quietways) are fully accessible to all types of cycle, as per the London Cycling Design Standards concept of ‘the inclusive cycle’?

The Mayor: Transport for London’s (TfL) cycle route quality criteria are helping to improve the cycle network in London, ensuring consistency and a high-quality experience across all new routes. The six criteria are designed to be consistent with recommendations in the London Cycling Design Standards, including recommendations on inclusive cycling, and are being used to shape the design of new cycling infrastructure.
TfL is working to assess existing cycle superhighways and quietways against the cycle route quality criteria as part of efforts to rebrand them as Cycleways, ensuring that the network is made as accessible as possible to all users.

Accessible Cycling (3)

Elly Baker: I understand that footpath / off-carriageway cycle track data are included in the Cycling Infrastructure Database, but which sections of track are fully accessible is not identified. What plans, if any, do you have to audit these cycle tracks to identify accessibility issues a) so cyclists know which tracks are not accessible and b) so TfL/Boroughs can seek to make them fully accessible at the earliest opportunity?

The Mayor: Off-carriageway paths typically do not form part of the strategic Cycleways network but where they do, they will have undergone a review and infrastructure upgrade as part of the Cycle Route Quality Criteria process to ensure that they are accessible. Any route which is signed as a Cycleway will be accessible to all cycles.
The Cycling Infrastructure Database (CID) identifies all off-carriageway links which permit cycling, however many of these are not designated as Cycleways and so may not entirely meet the accessibility criteria. Transport for London (TfL) will continue to work with the boroughs to audit proposed new routes, to ensure all Cycleways are accessible and inclusive. As the strategic cycle network expands, they will also be updating their online cycling map, to show customers where these new accessible routes are located.

The Williams-Shapps Rail Review (2)

Elly Baker: The 2017 Chris Gibb Report recommended the transfer of the East Croydon – Milton Keynes operation to TfL. Can you confirm if this is still something TfL and the DfT are actively considering?

The Mayor: The transfer of the East Croydon – Milton Keynes service to Transport for London’s control is not under active consideration with the Department for Transport. This service uses staff and rolling stock that are shared across other Southern services, so its separation would be complex and expensive.It is also complicated by the fact that this service operates as much as 50 miles from central London.

School pollution

Emma Best: Regarding question 2021/1048, which are the remaining 14 schools in London in areas with illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide pollution (name and borough)?

The Mayor: The number of state primary and secondary schools in areas which exceed the legal limit for nitrogen dioxide has reduced by 97 per cent – from 455 schools in 2016 to just 14 in 2019.But there is still more work to do to tackle PM2.5 as more than 1.2 million children in London attend schools in areas that exceeded WHO limits for PM2.5. That’s why I set up the London Schools Pollution Helpdesk and am expanding the ULEZ as part ofplans to clean up toxic air at schools in the worst polluted areas of the capital.But I can’t do it alone, I want to work with Government to ensure I have the resources and powers need to consign air pollution to the history books once and for all.
The list of schools still exceeding legal limits of nitrogen dioxide can be viewed here: https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/mayor-unveils-plans-to-reduce-toxic-air-at-schools

Meeting with Tad Zurlinden

Keith Prince: Before the Mayoral election this year, you promised to meet representatives of the employee relocation sector which contributes literally billions of pounds a year to the London economy. The head of the Association of Relocation Professionals, Tad Zurlinden, has written to you asking for a meeting date. Can you confirm you'll get back to him in the next couple of weeks with a date for that meeting, please?

The Mayor: My team have heard from Tad Zurlinden and will schedule a meeting in due course.

Supporting International Tourism

Shaun Bailey: Since my question 2021/2083, travel restrictions have eased for visitors from some countries. What are you doing to boost and support international tourism to London and when will you update your tourism vision for London?

The Mayor: I have tasked London & Partners, my official business growth and destination agency, to work closely with Visit Britain and tourism industry stakeholders to plan for international tourism recovery as restrictions ease for more countries.
This includes consulting on priority markets and activities, and checking demand from the industry to update the Tourism Vision for London.
My current focus is on boosting domestic tourism through the Let’s Do London campaign. It is designed to attract UK visitors and Londoners to the capital and drive spend in our city’s hospitality sector, with the latest independent evaluation showing that audiences who recall the campaign are more than twice as likely to have visited London than those who cannot recall it. Almost two-thirds who recall the campaign intend to visit London in the next three months.
I have been lobbying the government for further investment to support the recovery of international tourism.

Night Time Economy Measurables

Shaun Bailey: How are you measuring success and growth within London’s night time economy?

The Mayor: I am supporting boroughs to measure the success and growth of London’s night time economy through my Night Time Data Observatory and High Street Data Service. This free resource includes training sessions to help boroughs develop baseline data of existing night time activities in their area so that we can measure changes accurately and regularly.
In addition, my £7 million Let’s Do London campaign is attracting visitors back to central London to enjoy the world-class culture, retail, leisure and nightlife our city has to offer.
The campaign has a comprehensive evaluation programme to measure performance. London & Partners are measuring the impact of the campaign on public confidence by tracking people’s intentions to take a trip to London (a day trip or short overnight trips). Our results already show that audiences who recall the campaign are more than twice as likely to visit London, which is positive news for businesses.
The campaign also tracks footfall in London and spend data. Mid-August saw the highest average daytime visitor numbers since 19 July reopening, with weekend visitor levels at 86 per cent of the usual rate and weekdays at 62 per cent.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions (1)

Leonie Cooper: Given that vehicle emissions are now dropping, prior to the ULEZ expansion, please advise what percentage of London’s overall Greenhouse Gas emissions are made up of buildings’ operational emissions?

The Mayor: The latest greenhouse gas emissions for London are for 2018 and can be found at: London Energy and Greenhouse Gas Inventory (LEGGI) - London Datastore.
In 2018 the results, capturing the five major IPCC sectors measured, show that London’s CO2e emissions were 32.4 million tonnes. This is a 29 per cent reduction on 1990 levels and a 37 per cent reduction since the peak of emissions in 2000.
Greenhouse gas emissions from buildings in 2018 were 10.57 MtCO2e for domestic buildings and 10.42 for Commercial and Industrial buildings. That is a total of 20.99 MtCO2e or 64.8 per cent of overall emissions.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions (2)

Leonie Cooper: Once the ULEZ has expanded and further reductions in vehicle emissions result, what does the modelling show in terms of the percentage that buildings’ operational emissions will account for of London’s overall Greenhouse Gas emissions, going forward?

The Mayor: The primary aim of the ULEZ is to reduce emissions of air pollutants most harmful to human health, namely nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, rather than greenhouse gas emissions. However, preliminary estimates indicate that by the end of 2019, the ULEZ had reduced CO2 emissions from road transport in the central zone by 6 per cent. In the 2017 ULEZ expansion consultation, TfL assessed the impact on CO2 with and without the policy. The estimated reduction in road transport CO2 in 2021 was expected to be around 1.5 per cent due to the combined effects of changes in the emissions standards and vehicle kilometres.
It is not possible to speculate on the emissions from buildings in 2021 and their relative contribution to London’s overall carbon footprint. 2021 building emissions will depend on many factors, not least the impact of the pandemic on patterns of building use, and my comprehensive package of energy efficiency measures through my retrofit revolution.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions (3)

Leonie Cooper: Most building Greenhouse Gas emissions are associated with existing buildings that require additional insulation as well as fossil-free/low fossil heating systems. What funds are available to a) Insulate existing buildings; b) Replace heating systems. Is this funding sufficient to meet the London Zero Carbon by 2030 target?

The Mayor: Nationally, funding available for insulating existing buildings and replacing heating systems with low carbon alternatives include the Energy Company Obligation, £640m annually, the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, £3.8 billion to date, the Greener Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery (GHG-LAD) scheme, £500m to date, and the Public Sector Decarbonisation fund, £1 billion. This falls well short of the Government’s £9.2 billion commitment for energy efficiency outlined in its 2019 manifesto.
In thelast year my programmes, working with London boroughs, have managed to secure £166m to help Londoners insulate buildings and decarbonise heating systems. Programmes such as my £14 million Warmer Homes programme, my £3.6 million Retrofit -Accelerator Homes programme and my £6 million Local Energy Accelerator continue to support action in these areas.
However my 1.5°C Climate action plan estimates the investment in infrastructure needed to achieve net zero, including buildings, needed is £61 billion. Government’s funding plans are not enough to deliver the investment needed to achieve net zero at present, I continue to lobby for a long-term decarbonisation plan for buildings and sustained level of funds to support its delivery.

Counter Terror Police average tenure in post

Unmesh Desai: In the last 5 years, what is the average length of time a police officer based within either Counter Terrorism Command or Counter Terror Policing HQ spends undertaking a role before either moving to a different role within the Metropolitan Police or leaving the service.

The Mayor: Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) systems do not have the facility to run reports on assignment histories.

Homicides (1)

Shaun Bailey: For each year, Aug 2015 to July 2016, Aug 2016 to July 2017, Aug 2017 to July 2018, Aug 2018 to July 2019, Aug 2019 to July 2020 and Aug 2020 to July 2021 how many homicides resulted in charges and how many successful prosecutions were there?

The Mayor: Please see the attached information provided by the Metropolitan Police Service for those homicide offences where a person has been charged between August 2015 and July 2021. The supplied notes page should be read in conjunction with the information to aid in interpretation.
Please note that the Metropolitan Police do not hold prosecution data for any crime types.

The Mayor: 3761_Homicides (1).xlsx

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate inspection following Daniel Morgan Inquiry

Unmesh Desai: What is the scope and what are the terms of reference of the inspection of the Metropolitan Police by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of the Constabulary following the findings of the Daniel Morgan Panel Independent Panel’s inquiry? What are the timeframes that have been agreed for this work?

The Mayor: Neither the Terms of Reference nor the timeframes have yet been agreed for the HMICFRS inspection of the MPS. We continue to liaise with them on this matter.

National Sports Centre, Crystal Palace

Marina Ahmad: When can we expect a decision on the future of the National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace? I understand that further assessment work was due to be carried out, has this been completed?

The Mayor: The sports centre at Crystal Palace is an incredibly important facility for Londoners. The facilities are over 50 years old, and the building has a complex and protected grade II* listed structure. Further assessment work has been carried out and I hope to be able to make a decision in the coming weeks.

Homicides (2)

Shaun Bailey: For each year, Aug 2015 to July 2016, Aug 2016 to July 2017, Aug 2017 to July 2018, Aug 2018 to July 2019, Aug 2019 to July 2020 and Aug 2020 to July 2021 how many suspects were wanted/at large for homicide?

The Mayor: Please see the requested data attached. The supplied notes page should be read in conjunction with the data to aid in interpretation.
It should be noted the data refers to the number of people that have been circulated as wanted in connection with a homicide related offence during the periods specified. This is not a count of suspects currently wanted in relation to these offences.

The Mayor: 3762_Homicides (2).xlsx

Supporting Businesses with Staff Shortages

Shaun Bailey: What actions have you taken over the summer to support businesses with staff shortages?

The Mayor: The London Progression Collaboration (LPC) pilot has been working with businesses to create apprenticeships in priority sectors. Over £8.4m in apprenticeship levy has been raised by their Reskilling the Recovery campaign, creating hundreds of apprenticeships across the capital.
My Academies Programme will coordinate training in London, linking Londoners to job vacancies and addressing skills shortages in sectors including digital, green, hospitality and the creative industries, which are critical to London’s recovery.
I have also established a working group with Jobcentre Plus, London Councils and Sub-Regional Partnerships to coordinate learning and employment support in the capital. Members of the working group recently met with hospitality employers facing staffing challenges, connecting them to employment support providers with potential candidates.
However, given the urgency and the scale of the staff shortages businesses are facing the Government should explore all policy levers to ensurethat the immigration system meets our economic needs and helps businesses get back on their feet as quickly as possible. Disappointingly the Government’s ‘shortage occupation list’, which could help to ameliorate such problems,includes barely any of the roles that are now urgently needed in sectors like hospitality, construction and haulage. This is whyI amlobbying for London to have devolved powers to fill vacanciesin sectors wherethere areacute shortages,including the ability to create a more demand-led regional list of shortage occupations for London.

Let's Do London Summer Programmes

Shaun Bailey: Please can you provide a breakdown of the events, installations and programmes which were held as part of the Let’s Do London Campaign over the summer? Please list the cost, the borough(s) held in and any businesses which were involved.

The Mayor: In July, I launched my Family Fun season to encourage families across the capital and nationwide to visit London this summer. delivered in the boroughs of Camden, Hackney, Islington, Kensington & Chelsea, Lambeth, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Westminster and the City of London. The total cost of the programme is £339,745. Partners included Breakin Convention, Designs in the Air, Heart of London Business Alliance, National Gallery, Natural History Museum, Network Rail, Royal Parks, Sadler’s Wells, Science Museum, Society of London Theatres, Somerset House, Spitalfields Market, Royal Academy of Arts and V&A.
In August, we launched Back to the Big Screen, a campaign in partnership with BAFTA, BFI, Barbican, Luna Cinema, Film London and UK Cinema Association to support London’s cinemas and film industry to recover and increase public confidence in returning to events and venues. The project cost £249,000 included four days of free outdoor film screenings in Trafalgar Square.

Summer Night Time Economy

Shaun Bailey: What actions have you taken over the summer to boost the night time economy since COVID-19 restrictions have been removed?

The Mayor: My £7 million Let’s Do London campaign is attracting visitors back to central London’s to enjoy the world-class culture, retail, leisure and nightlife our city has to offer. The campaign aims to increase footfall, consumer spend and boost confidence.
On 2 September, I launched the Let’s Do London ‘Lates’ season, encouraging visitors and Londoners back to the city’s unique night time experiences.
Last month we also launched Back to the Big Screen, a project in partnership with BAFTA, BFI, Film London, Barbican and the UK Cinema Association to increase public confidence in returning to cinemas and supporting London’s film industry.
The High Street Reopening Coordination Group, chaired by my Night Czar, provided best practice and guidance for boroughs and businesses to support the safe reopening of the night time economy. It brought together key borough stakeholders, the police and businesses to ensure a coordinated pan-London response.

Training Ex-Prisoners

Shaun Bailey: What work are you undertaking to support and train ex-prisoners to fill job vacancies in London?

The Mayor: In my first term in office I demonstrated my commitment to supporting ex-offenders as a disadvantaged group through the Skills for Londoners Capital Fund, with investments into employment-focused learning settings in two of London’s prisons.
The Bad Boys’ Bakery and Café equipment upgrade at HMP Brixton has enabled the purchase of industry-standard equipment to upgrade the bakery/café to support learners in gaining practical work experience and industry relevant qualifications to increase their chances of gaining employment on release from custody.
We also invested in a new restaurant facility at HMP Wormwood Scrubs, which is part of a Catering Career Routeway into employment for prisoners. The facility is providing learners with a real-work environment to develop the skills they need to find meaningful employment in the catering industry on release.
In this term I will ask the newly reconvened Skills for Londoners Board and Business Partnership to engage with employment education and resettlement partners, including the New Futures Network, Novus and Bounce Back, which have well established links with Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service, to improve through the gate support for offenders into employment.

Digital skills for older Londoners

Anne Clarke: Recent research by Age UK London showed that one in four Londoners over the age of 65 want to use the internet more and one of the biggest barriers is a lack of skills. What steps will you take to ensure that the roll-out of the revised digital skills entitlement meets the specific needs of older Londoners?

The Mayor: The Digital Access for All recovery mission aims to ensure that every Londoner has access to good connectivity, basic digital skills and the device or support they need to be online by 2025.
As part of the Adult Education Budget programme, Londoners aged 19+ can access free digital skills training, including through the Essential Digital Skills Entitlement (EDSE). We will launch an awareness raising campaign for the EDSE, working with partners across the voluntary sector, businesses and boroughs, to ensure that all adult Londoners – including older Londoners - have access to the digital skills training they need.
The Adult Education Roadmap for London will set the direction of travel for adult education over this Mayoral term. A key theme in the draft Roadmap is making adult education more accessible to those most in need, including older Londoners (aged 50+).
We recently consulted on the Roadmap, seeking views from learning providers, employers, communities and Londoners around proposals for investing in London’s digital learning spaces, improving providers’ digital infrastructure, and improving connectivity and access to devices for learners. The Roadmap will be published in December 2021.

Hydrogen Strategy

Tony Devenish: Will you welcome the Government’s new Hydrogen Strategy and what opportunities do you believe London can gain from it?

The Mayor: After such a long wait, the eventual publication of the Government’s Hydrogen Strategy is of course welcome. A challenge for the Government will be directing hydrogen to the most suitable uses where it is the most cost-effective way of reducing emissions and developing a green hydrogen industry to support supply.
In the near term, the UK will only be producing small volumes of low carbon hydrogen. A good result for London by 2030 would be to see hydrogen being used in harder to electrify transport modes, such as heavy goods vehicles, in selected industries, and potentially an energy source for district heating systems. I continue to support hydrogen in London and recently launched the first double decker hydrogen bus fleet in England, which from 2023 will be powered by renewable hydrogen from wind.

Green jobs (1)

Tony Devenish: Could you set out your timeline for the creation of 175,260 new “green” jobs as per your manifesto commitment?

The Mayor: The Green New Deal mission has an objective, agreed by the London Recovery Board, that aims to double the size of London’s green economy by 2030 through a green and fair recovery that protects jobs and supports businesses to create new ones. The stated aim is to double the value of sales made in the green economy as measured by London’s Low Carbon and Environmental Goods and Services The Green New Deal mission is supported by the Good Work for Londoners mission, which is identifying and supporting the development of London’s green skills capacity. Research and analysis that took place for the Green New Deal fund recognised the potential to support over 175,000 jobs in the green economy over the coming ten years.
This growth will be achieved through actions such as retrofitting and adapting buildings, developing renewable and district energy, rolling out electric vehicle charging, expanding urban greening and resilience and raising green finance to support these projects. My Innovation Partnership alone has the potential value of £10 billion which could deliver up to 190,000 retrofitted homes and 150,000 jobs over a decade in the UK.
In the decade up to 2019/20, sales in the green economy doubled from £23bn to over £48bn creating over 140,000 jobs. By doubling London’s green economy over the coming decade, I am confident that similar job growth is possible.

Green jobs (2)

Tony Devenish: Could you confirm what milestones have been set for the creation of 175,260 new “green” jobs as per your manifesto commitment?

The Mayor: Research and analysis that took place for the Green New Deal fund recognised the potential to support over 175,000 jobs in the green economy over the coming ten years.
The latest update of London’s Low Carbon Market Snapshot, or Low Carbon and Environmental Goods and Services sector, is currently being undertaken and will be published in the autumn.
This report will include a timeseries of annual growth rates for sales and employment since 2007/08 and take account of the impacts on the sector of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. Following publication, GLA officers will assess the potential growth trajectory for the sector between now and 2030.
This growth will be driven by my policy framework, such as being net zero by 2030, that I have created in London and complimented by my London Recovery Programme, especially my Green New Deal mission. It will also be driven by other opportunities through national and international policies as demand for environmental goods and services grow.

Green jobs (3)

Tony Devenish: How many green jobs, broken down into what type, did you create during your first term in office?

The Mayor: As referenced in MQ 2021/3795, I have been creating the policy and market framework to support the transition to a low carbon circular economy. In my first term I had two main programmes, Better Futures and Advance London, that were designed to support green businesses to grow and help create jobs.
The latest London Low Carbon Market Snapshot 2019 Report shows the amount of green jobs that were created in London between 2016/17 and 2017/18 and the Low Carbon Market Snapshot that is currently being finalised will take that data up to 2020/21. This report includes the breakdown of how jobs are split across the 24 sub-sectors within the Low Carbon and Environmental Goods and Services.
In 2016/17 there were nearly 225,000 people employed in London’s Low Carbon and Environmental Goods and Services and by 2019/20 that had risen to over 300,000 people.

Affordable homes (4)

Andrew Boff: What are your annual targets for GLA-funded affordable housing starts under the 2021-26 Affordable Housing Programme for each of the financial years 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26?

The Mayor: The annual starts targets for the Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26 are being agreed with MHCLG following the funding settlement this week.

Affordable homes (3)

Andrew Boff: What are your annual targets for GLA-funded affordable housing starts under the 2016-23 Affordable Housing Programme for each of the financial years 2021-22 and 2022-23?

The Mayor: The target for 2021/22 is 16,000 to 18,300 and the target for 22/23 is 25,422 to 27,722.

Food Waste (3)

Leonie Cooper: How many London Boroughs now provide separate food waste collection services?

The Mayor: 24 boroughs now offer food waste collections to all kerbside properties, up from 23 in 2016. Nine boroughs do not currently offer this: Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Hammersmith and Fulham, Havering, Kensington and Chelsea, Newham, Redbridge, Wandsworthand Westminster.
My officers worked with these boroughs to set out in their Reduction and Recycling Plan (RRP) a commitment of how and when they will provide kerbside food waste services and continue to work closely with them to ensure plans are implemented. Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster and Hammersmith and Fulham are now running pilot services and have committed in their RRPs to extend these. Wandsworth are starting a trial this autumn and have also committed in their RRP to extend it Officers are in discussions with Barnet over the reintroduction of their service which was stopped in 2018.
The remaining boroughs are the constituent authorities of the East London Waste Authority (ELWA). There are contractual and technological constraints within ELWA’s disposal contract which mean the potential for food waste collections services is severely limited. Officers continue to work with these boroughs to ensure that early action can be taken under a renewed ELWA contract.

Right to Buy Back scheme (7)

Andrew Boff: Further to your recent announcement, how many additional Right to Buy Back homes do you intend to procure for Afghan refugees, what will be the additional cost, and how quickly will these homes be made available?

The Mayor: There is no ring-fenced funding set aside for my new Right to Buy-back fund. In respect of homes procured for Afghan refugees, I have asked my team to discuss higher grant rates for family-sized homes with councils where this is needed to secure larger properties quickly. Funding allocations will be made in accordance with council-led demand and in line with other programme requirements. Given the urgency of this situation, homes funded through this offer for Afghan refugees must be purchased or otherwise completed by March 2022.

Right to Buy Back scheme (6)

Andrew Boff: Will homes purchased under the Right to Buy Back scheme have to be within the respective borough boundary? If not, what will be the geographical limit?

The Mayor: Yes. Homes acquired through this fund must typically fall within the boundary of the bidding borough.
The GLA will make some exceptions to this requirement, on a case-by-case basis. For example, the GLA is willing to support acquisitions that fall outside of a respective borough boundary where accommodation is being used to house individuals or households who are at risk of domestic violence.

Affordable homes (2)

Andrew Boff: What are your annual targets for GLA-funded affordable housing starts for each of the financial years 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26?

The Mayor: The target range for starts on site in 2022-23 is 25,422 to 27,722. The starts target after 2023/4 is being agreed with MHCLG following the agreement of the funding settlement this week.

Affordable homes (1)

Andrew Boff: What is your annual target for GLA-funded affordable housing starts in the current financial year?

The Mayor: The target range for starts on site in the current financial year is 16,000 to 18,300, as agreed with MHCLG.

Right to Buy Back scheme (3)

Andrew Boff: Will the Right to Buy Back scheme be funded from the Affordable Housing Programme? Otherwise, how is the scheme being funded?

The Mayor: The Right to Buy-back fund forms part of the Affordable Homes Programme 2016-2023, which includes the Building Council Homes for Londoners programme.
Where bids meet the terms of other GLA programmes, the GLA will have discretion to direct bids to other programmes accordingly (in consultation with the relevant borough). For example, some boroughs may be able to draw down ringfenced Right to Buy receipts to support buy-backs and other acquisitions.

Changes to Healthcare Arrangements in Custody Suites (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: Despite moving to a nurse-led model I have been made aware that the Met is still heavily reliant on forensic medical examiners (FMEs) and is struggling to cover all custody suites with healthcare professionals under the new model. Can you confirm whether the Met is having difficulty recruiting or retaining enough Custody Nurse Practitioners (CNPs)?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) continues to recruit and train Custody Nurse Practitioners (CNPs). There is, however, high demand for nurses across the sector. Therefore, until all the posts are filled, Forensic Medical Examiners (FMEs) are being offered the opportunity to cover any CNP gaps.
The MPS will be undertaking a review of its healthcare in custody model in November 2021, having been operating for six months.

Right to Buy Back scheme (5)

Andrew Boff: Will homes purchased under the Right to Buy Back scheme have to be within the Greater London boundary? If not, what will be the geographical limit?

The Mayor: Yes. All homes purchased under the Right to Buy-back scheme will have to be located within the Greater London boundary.

Lambeth River Station Pontoon Refurbishment (1)

Anne Clarke: The LFB’s quarter 4 report for 2020/21 reports challenges to finding a contractor for refurbishment work. What challenges have been identified as discouraging contractors from applying for the tender?

The Mayor: The challenges to receiving bids for the project from contractors were due to the specialist nature of the work, time pressures and resource shortages being experienced in the construction industry and the proposed form of procurement and contract.
The project was taken to market via the Metropolitan Police Service framework, in line with GLA guidance. Initially two of the three contractors on the framework expressed an interest in tendering for the project. However, once the tender was released both parties pulled out, citing the risk of working on and around the river as too high, and resource issues internally.
Subsequently the project team began talking to specialist marine contractors to establish if there was interest in carrying out the works. As a result of feedback, the project was competitively re-tendered with the specialist marine contractors. This re-tender has led to the successful selection of a preferred contractor to complete the final stage of design, in preparation to agree a contract sum to carry out the works.

Statement of Community Involvement

Sakina Sheikh: Will you produce a Statement of Community Involvement so that communities know your commitments to them on how they will be consulted on planning changes in their areas?

The Mayor: In my re-election manifesto I committed to finding ways to improve how communities can be involved in the planning process.
A statement of community involvement sets out how a planning authority will engage with communities in fulfilling its statutory duties. My role, and the role of the GLA, do not fall within this framework.
However, I am committed to helping improve engagement for communities with the wider planning system, ranging from specific development proposals to, crucially, policy and plan-making stages where the statutory frameworks that are used to decide individual planning applications are developed.
My team is preparing a framework to set out the principles to guide the work of GLA Planning as well as information to help communities navigate and understand what is undoubtedly a complicated system and will be looking to engage with community groups on this. We are also continuing to develop enhanced tools and data to support Londoners’ involvement in planning.

Catalytic Converters

Leonie Cooper: Can a breakdown by borough of catalytic converter thefts be provided since 2020?

The Mayor: Please see attached the requested information. The supplied notes page should be read in conjunction with these data to aid in interpretation.

The Mayor: 3367_Catalytic converters (1).xlsx

Public Practice (3)

Sakina Sheikh: Which councils are currently a part of Public Practice?

The Mayor: Public Practice has placed Associates in 53 different Authorities and public sector bodies. 68% of these have been London based, including 29 of the 33 London Authorities. 40 Authorities are hosting placements across the current cohort and the cohort scheduled to commence in October. 29 are within or cover London:
Better Placed, Greater London Authority, Homes England, Local London, LB Barnet, LB Bexley, LB Camden, LB Ealing, LB Enfield, LB Hackney, LB Haringey, LB Havering, LB Hillingdon, LB Islington, LB Lambeth, LB Newham, LB Redbridge, LB Southwark, LB Tower Hamlets, LB Waltham Forest, LB Richmond & Wandsworth, London Legacy Development Corporation, Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation, RB Greenwich, RB Kensington & Chelsea, RB Kingston Upon Thames, South London Partnership, Westminster City Council.

Public Practice (2)

Sakina Sheikh: Is it possible for you to tell me how Public Practice is being funded by the GLA?

The Mayor: The GLA was one of the original founding partners of Public Practice and has provided tapered seed grant of £240,000 across four years, from 2017 to 2021. The GLA is in the process of confirming £45,000 of grant funding to Public Practice across the next three financial years.
Grants have been awarded on the basis of expected outputs and outcomes in relation to match funding, advocacy with the sector, research and development outcomes, and London borough placements. My Deputy Mayor, Jules Pipe, is chair of the Public Practice Board, supporting those expected outcomes to be met.

Public Practice (1)

Sakina Sheikh: Can you update me on how successful the Public Practice programme has been to date?

The Mayor: Public Practice is a not-for-profit social enterprise, developed within the GLA and launched in September 2017. Its mission is to improve the quality and equality of everyday places by building the public sector’s capacity for proactive planning through a professional placement programme that brings private sector expertise into the public sector. To date Public Practice has secured 177 placements for built environment practitioners across a range of public authorities. A further 24 placements will start in October 2021. 93% of applicants have applied from outside the public sector, 91% of placements have continued working within the public sector beyond the end of the 12 month programme and 94% of placements secured are brand new roles, confirming that Public Practice is supporting growth of placeshaping capacity in the public sector. The initiative is also supporting broader upskilling of the public sector and has provided over 140 open-access resources and tools for public sector officers.

Food Waste (2)

Leonie Cooper: Has Wandsworth asked ReLondon (formerly the London Waste & Recycling Board) for any advice or assistance on implementing a food waste collection trial?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor's Question 2021/3362.

Food Waste (1)

Leonie Cooper: Wandsworth is finally undertaking a food waste collection trial, in one small part of one Council Ward. Has the Council been in contact or asked for any advice or assistance from the GLA about how to implement a food waste collection trial?

The Mayor: I welcome that Wandsworth are trialling a food waste collection service. When Wandsworth submitted their Reduction and Recycling Plan, I approved it on the proviso that they committed to undertake such a trial,in order to allow for the service to be provided across the entire borough under their new waste collection contract which starts in 2024. Wandsworth’s shared staffing arrangement with Richmond, which has operated food waste collections for many years, means there is expertise within the authority to implement the trial and then expand it.
ReLondon and GLA officers work with boroughs to support them to implement their RRPs and have been in regular contact with Wandsworth offering support for the trial. ReLondon previously provided modelling and advice to boroughs to demonstrate the impact that different service models would have on recycling rates, including specific data on food services in Wandsworth. ReLondon also provide free communication assets promoting food waste collection services, which Wandsworth can use.

Kew Foot Road Probation Centre (1)

Nicholas Rogers: What communications have your office or MOPAC received about a new Probation Centre at 26 Kew Foot Road, Richmond?

The Mayor: There has been no prior communication between London Probation Service and my office or MOPAC about the new probation office in Richmond.

Potholes (2)

Leonie Cooper: How many potholes are on TfL roads in Merton?

The Mayor: As at 1 September 2021, there were 102 minor carriageway defects on the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN) in Merton - of which 46 have been recorded as potholes.
All potholes on the TLRN within Merton are currently being repaired within Transport for London’s (TfL’s) 1, 7- or 28-day service level once recorded. The repair time is based on a risk-based safety rating, and there is currently no backlog for pothole repairs. TfL roads are inspected by trained highway inspectors on either a rolling 7 or 28-day inspection period.
Across London, utility cover damage can take longer to repair. The repairs are completed by the appropriate utilities company, TfL, like the London boroughs, works with the relevant company to make sure they are meeting national guidance on repair timelines. However, TfL will step in and carry out emergency repairs if there are any safety concerns with the utility cover.

Potholes (1)

Leonie Cooper: How many potholes are on TfL roads in Wandsworth?

The Mayor: As at 1 September 2021, there were 158 minor carriageway defects on the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN) in Wandsworth - of which 61 have been recorded as potholes.
All potholes on the TLRN within Wandsworth are currently being repaired within Transport for London’s (TfL’s) 1, 7 or 28-day service level once recorded. The repair time is based on a risk-based safety rating. Currently there is no backlog for pothole repairs, and TfL roads are inspected by trained highway inspectors on either a rolling 7 or 28-day inspection period.
Across London, utility cover damage can take longer to repair. The repairs are completed by the appropriate utilities company. TfL, like the London boroughs, works with the relevant company to make sure they are meeting national guidance on repair timelines. TfL will step in and carry out emergency repairs if there are any safety concerns with the utility cover.

Seven Sisters/Amhurst Park Junction

Joanne McCartney: Further to MQ 2015/0970, it has now been six years since I last raised this issue but local residents still have concerns about the safety of cyclists and pedestrians. Is it possible for you to update me on what improvements are being made?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is committed to improving safety at this junction and, prior to the pandemic, was designing a safety scheme here as part of a longer cycle route on the Seven Sisters Road. Unfortunately design work on a cycle route was paused in March 2020 owing to the pandemic, but TfL hopesto be able to recommence design work in early autumn with future deliverysubject to the availability of funding.

Teddington Police Station Sale (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: Given the rising number of police officers in London and increasing concern over crime from residents in Teddington, particularly around Teddington Lock, will you reconsider the decision to sell Teddington Police Station?

The Mayor: Thanks to the record levels of City Hall investment in the Met and the Government’s partial reversal of cuts, officer numbers are rising. Consequently, a review of the Met’s entire estate is underway in order to look at the long-term plans for police station buildings.
The Mayor’s top priority is to make Londoners safer – he has ensured that there’s a 24-hour police front counter in every London borough and whilst the review of the Met’s estate will not mean changes to this commitment the estate strategy will reduce the total number of buildings used by the Met.

Uptake among care workers

Onkar Sahota: Care home providers are reporting that one of the reasons they are losing staff or unable to fill vacancies is because many have been put off by requirement to be fully vaccinated against Covid by 11 November. What are you doing to promote the uptake of the vaccine to key workers such as care home staff?

The Mayor: The uptake among care home staff has reached 87.9% for first doses and 77.3% for second doses. Integrated Care Systems continue to focus on care homes with the lowest level of vaccine uptake for residents and staff. They also continue to liaise with Local Authority Hubs to identify and promote pop-up vaccination events to make it as easy as possible for staff to get vaccinated.
I am continuing to meet regularly with the leaders of both the NHS and Public Health England in London, as I have throughout the pandemic, on all aspects of the pandemic including to discuss vaccine uptake across all sectors. My officers are continuing to work closely with partners across the health and care system to align messages and support logistical roll-out of the vaccine programme. I use my role to amplify messages wherever I can, both with the public and with national Government.

Police officers leaving the Met (2)

Nicholas Rogers: For each of the following years Nov 16 to Oct 17, Nov 17 to Oct 18, Nov 18 to Oct 19, Nov 19 to Oct 20 and Nov 20 to Oct 21, how many police officers left the Met to join another police force?

The Mayor: The table below shows the number of officers who left the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to join another police force.
Category
Nov 16 - Oct 17
Nov 17 - Oct 18
Nov 18 - Oct 19
Nov 19 - Oct 20
Nov 20 - Aug 21
Joining another Police Force
377
306
345
288
170

British National (Overseas) Visa (3)

Sem Moema: There is anecdotal evidence that landlords and estate agents are not aware of the BNO visa and are denying people permission to rent. What can the Mayor do to publicise the rights of BNO visa holders to landlords and estate agents in London?

The Mayor: I share concerns that the Home Office’s hostile environment creates barriers for Londoners to access their rights and entitlements, including barriers to renting accommodation, accessing work, and accessing a bank account. I have long lobbied the government to end these discriminatory hostile environment policies.
In order to address the immediate challenge, my teams have raised this issue with the National Residential Landlord Association and with the Mayor’s Private Rented Sector Partnership, which brings together borough officers responsible for enforcing against rogue landlords and letting agents. My officers are continuing to seek opportunities to publicise the rights of BNO visa holders and others impacted by Right to Rent checks.

Back-office Planning Systems (BoPS)

Sakina Sheikh: Are you optimistic that the Government’s Back-office Planning Systems (BoPS) will makes planning applications more accessible to both local authorities and Londoners?

The Mayor: The Back Office Planning System is one of a suite of initiatives to digitalise the planning system and transform how it works.
Its initiation was undertaken with partners, including the GLA. While, to date, it has been focused on the back-office systems and so does not yet unlock the challenges that Londoners face in accessing the planning system, I am hopeful that it is a positive step for the planning industry and will provide a helpful foundation for other improvements.

Transport Accessibility (2)

Sem Moema: Please provide a list of publicly accessible toilets on the Transport for London network and the opening hours for each of those facilities.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) publishes details of the toilets on its stations on the TfL toilet map (http://content.tfl.gov.uk/toilets-map.pdf). This includes toilets at bus stations which interchange directly with stations, for example North Greenwich, as well as a small number of facilities operated by third parties. Opening hours are decided by local management teams to meet operational requirements and, in most cases, are communicated at the entrance to the toilet.
Work is currently underway to confirm the individual opening hours at different locations and TfL will look to communicate this once complete. Station staff are also expected to provide access to toilets on request outside of the advertised opening hours.

Training of retrofit installers

Siân Berry: What training is your Mayor's Construction Academy (MCA) providing to deal with the skills shortages among retrofit installers, how many people has it already upskilled, and what are its plans for future training?

The Mayor: Mayor’s Construction Academy (MCA) hubs have been exploring and putting in place various retrofitting training opportunities with their providers and employers, focusing on areas such as external and internal wall insulation, Solar PV, Solar Hot Water and Heat Pumps and Smart energy controls. The number of people upskilled in retrofitting installation specifically has not been recorded, but since activity began in March 2019 to the end of June 2021 an additional 18,900 Londoners completed construction qualifications across the hub areas in comparison to the 2017/18 baseline.
In terms of future delivery, the Mayor’s Academies Programme hub opportunity launched last month, and priority sectors include the green economy and the sub-sector of green construction. Organisations can apply for up to £250k over two years to fund coordination resource which will bring together employers, training providers and other actors in the sector to work collaboratively to address skills shortages and underrepresentation. The successful hub applications and sectors supported should be announced in December 2021, with projects commencing delivery January – March 2022.
Using part of the Adult Education Budget (AEB), I issued the Good Work for All Fund earlier this year. This provided additional funding to high quality training proposals in Green and other sectors identified in the London Recovery Programme as key to London’s recovery from COVID-19. The funding will support new provision in retrofitting (for example, Regeneration Air Conditioning and Heat Pump Engineering, Energy Efficiency, Understanding Retrofit qualifications).

International Business in London

Shaun Bailey: What actions are you taking to boost London’s status as a global city and support international business in London?

The Mayor: London & Partners, my official business growth and destination agency, continues to promote London internationally as a leading global destination, including delivering internationally renowned events like London Tech Week and Silicon Valley comes to the UK to showcase London on the global stage, whilst focusing on attracting international businesses from high-growth sectors that will bring the most value to London. Since the start of this financial year, London & Partners have delivered £113m of economic benefit to London and over 1,800 jobs.

London Ambulance Service - Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs)

Susan Hall: Have there been any representations from London Ambulance Service to TfL or to you regarding the impact of LTNs on their response times? If so, can you provide details of said representations?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has worked closely with the emergency services and boroughs to ensure strong direct liaison and meets the emergency services and borough representatives regularly. No formal representations have been made to TfL, but through TfL’s regular liaison with blue-light services, borough officers were made aware that the emergency services have expressed a preference for the wider use of camera-enforced traffic filters, and TfL is working with boroughs to increase their use where appropriate.

Financially Insecure Londoners

Shaun Bailey: What actions are you taking to support financially insecure Londoners and help them become more financially secure?

The Mayor: Supporting financially insecure Londoners is a high priority for me and is at the heart of the work of the London Recovery Board.
The Robust Safety Net Recovery mission aims to ensure that every Londoner can access the support they need to avoid or alleviate financial hardship. To work towards this I have invested £1 million in the Advice in Community Settings grant scheme. This builds on my successful school-based pilot with the Child Poverty Action Group by funding partnerships across London to embed income maximisation, debt and other advice services in community locations.
I’m also helping Londoners to secure good quality, well paid jobs though the Good Work for All recovery mission, and I continue to bang the drum for the London Living Wage and encourage employers to provide better pay and conditions for their employees through my Good Work Standard.

Reducing Invalid Planning Applications (RIPA)

Sakina Sheikh: Are you optimistic that the Government’s Reducing Invalid Planning Applications (RIPA) scheme will improve the process of submitting planning applications to local authorities?

The Mayor: I am hopeful that this project will improve the experience of applicants submitting planning applications. To date this has been limited to applications for certificates of lawfulness (so ascertaining confirmation as to whether a full application for planning permission is required). I hope that this can be scaled to other types of applications in due course.

‘Vaccine fatigue’

Onkar Sahota: The number of teenagers getting vaccinated against some cancers, meningitis, septicaemia and other fatal conditions fell by 20% after the first lockdown last year. There has also been a small but very concerning drop in children receiving their MMR vaccination. Experts are referring to this as ‘vaccine fatigue’ due to the COVID-19 vaccination programme. It is vital that young people continue to take up their immunisations to protect themselves as well as others. We must tackle vaccine hesitancy as a health priority as it continues to spread. What work are you doing on this in London?

The Mayor: To tackle hesitancy, I continue to work with the NHS, Public Health England (PHE) and local government to support efforts to engage with communities on the importance of the COVID vaccine. For example, we have invested in Community Champions, a programme that empowers local people to be advocates in their own neighbourhoods and within their own communities. We are now expanding the programme to include Youth Community Champions.
To help encourage younger Londoners to come forward for their vaccine over the summer, I have worked with PHE and the NHS to deliver a small grants programme to support community-based organisations to hold events for young people in their local areas. This has given young people the opportunity and platform to talk about the vaccine, and wider health concerns. We also continue to run marketing campaigns specifically targeted at reaching these groups.
As we move into the autumn the NHS flu campaign will soon begin. I get the flu jab every year due to my asthma and I will be urging all Londoners who are eligible to have the vaccination too.

Care Home Staff Shortages

Onkar Sahota: There are continuing reports of an alarming decrease in care workers with providers now saying they will need an “army of volunteers” to staff care homes this winter. How are you, as Mayor, supporting London’s care homes in having enough trained staff to care for our sick and elderly care home residents?

The Mayor: I share your concerns about the workforce needed to support some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.
The GLA funded approximately £12 million Adult Education Budget provision in health and social care in 2019/20 to support Londoners into work in these sectors, and a round of bids for additional provision has also been launched via the Good Work Fund.
The London Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) are actively promoting their “Proud to Care” campaign (https://londonadass.org.uk/) to attract new recruits to the care industry. My Deputy Mayor and Health Advisor have had discussions with representatives of ADASS to offer any support we can to this programme, using the learning from my skills academies programme, and these discussions are now continuing among officers.

Solar Panel Installation (1)

Sem Moema: The Mayor’s Solar Action Plan pledges to encourage solar energy installations through the planning system. What are the challenges to achieving this objective?

The Mayor: The London Plan continues to successfully secure solar PV installations on new build developments. Policy SI 2 requires planning applicants to maximise roof areas for solar PV as part of meeting the Mayor’s net zero carbon target.
Developments referred to the Mayor in 2019 secured commitments to new solar PV capacity of 6.7MW equalling an investment of nearly £7.7 million. Since 2016, 21.7 MW of new solar PV capacity has been secured in total. The results for 2020 will be available shortly.
The success of the net zero carbon policy and the new solar PV capacity it is resulting in demonstrates the importance of local authorities retaining powers to set standards beyond national building regulations.
I commissioned work in April 2021 to gather evidence and insights on the challenges and opportunities that existing planning regulations present to retrofitting residential properties (including installation of solar PV) in London. This will provide recommendations to drive retrofit forward at scale and is currently ongoing. Recommendations are due by the end of the year and we will be engaging with boroughs on how to take these forward.

Right to Buy Back scheme (2)

Andrew Boff: How many homes will be purchased under the Right to Buy Back scheme and in what timescale?

The Mayor: The Right to Buy-back fund does not set any targets in terms of number of homes that must be delivered. The number of homes supported through the fund will be dependent on the appetite of councils and subject to the wider terms of GLA funding programmes.
The Right to Buy-back fund forms part of my wider Affordable Homes Programme 2016-2023, which will deliver 116,000 genuinely affordable homes. In line with these programme requirements, acquisitions funded through the Right to Buy-back fund must be complete before March 2023.

PEEPS and Keeping Londoners safe (3)

Anne Clarke: Do you agree with Disability Rights UK that PEEPs need to be a legal requirement?

The Mayor: The Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 report recommended that PEEPs be required by law. I am doing all I can to ensure all 46 Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations are implemented.
I responded to the Government consultation on PEEPs and my response can be found here. In my response, I called for PEEPs to be a requirement for all buildings of any height under the Fire Safety Order and for there to be central funding so that costs are not passed onto residents.
I agree with Disability Rights UK that PEEPs must be a legal requirement and I await the Government consultation response.

Tottenham Hale Ticket Hall

Joanne McCartney: Are you able to provide a more specific opening date for the new ticket hall at Tottenham Hale? Currently TfL’s website site says “late 2021”.

The Mayor: Work is progressing well at Tottenham Hale station to deliver the new ticket hall with more space, new ticket machines and an improved customer experience. Completion of the customer areas is expected by December 2021.

Teddington Police Station Sale (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: If you insist on proceeding with the sale of Teddington Police Station will you at the very least consider retaining the site for either social housing or wider public use?

The Mayor: MOPAC is under a statutory duty to secure the efficiency and effectiveness of the Metropolitan Police Service and ensure that good value for money is obtained. MOPAC aims to maximise the value of assets that are surplus to need in order to release capital for re-investment in the retained estate and so supporting the objective that “officers are given the tools to do their job”. This is usually demonstrated by offering property for sale in the open market which gives the opportunity for all to bid.
When bidding on the basis of residential redevelopment bidders are asked to acknowledge that when making an offer they have had regard to relevant planning policies, including existing local authority policies on minimum affordable housing requirements, the Mayor's SPG on affordable housing and the draft London Plan. Parties will be encouraged to review the GLA funding available for the provision of affordable housing through the Mayor's 'Homes for Londoners: Affordable Homes Programme 2016-2021.’

Revising the SHMA

Sakina Sheikh: What is your programme for revising the Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) in light of the Covid-19 Pandemic which has affected London’s housing market?

The Mayor: The 2017 SHMA forms a key part of the evidence base for the London Plan 2021. While the pandemic is undoubtedly having some effects currently on London's demographics and housing market, it is not yet clear the extent of these impacts or whether they are transitory or likely to persist and lead to longer term changes.
The 2017 SHMA therefore remains the best available guide to London's current and future housing needs, and makes clear the significant need for affordable housing - which is unlikely to be substantially reduced by emerging trends. My affordable homes programmes have delivered over 72,000 affordable homes across the capital - and will deliver a further 79,000 affordable homes over the next five years, further contributing to delivery of the types of homes that Londoners so desperately need.
For the purposes of the SHMA, demographic data is key and, as set out in my reply to Mayor's Question 2021/1904, the pandemic has caused some delay and disruption to data collection. Once better data emerges, including the results of the 2021 Census, my officers will be in a better position to build a picture of the nature and extent of demographic change that has taken place. This in turn will inform the best way forward with regard to reviewing and, if need be, revising the SHMA.

Revising the SHLA

Sakina Sheikh: What is your programme for revising the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) in light of the Covid-19 Pandemic which has affected London’s housing market?

The Mayor: The 2021 London Plan sets ambitious minimum housing targets for the boroughs, based on identified capacities of the 2017 SHLAA. This technical exercise, underpinning the London Plan, provided a robust assessment of residential land supply up to 2029.
My focus now is on implementing my London Plan – and the Government has agreed that despite national changes to calculating housing requirements, the targets in the London Plan for the next five years remain the relevant targets for London.
That said, the need for housing in London remains significant and work to identify new land supply is ongoing. First, as part of ensuring conformity with the London Plan, Boroughs will need to review their land supplies as they progress their own local plans, and to deliver London Plan targets. Any additional sites identified that meet good growth and wider London Plan objectives are welcomed in order to maximise housing delivery. Second, it is my intention to commission work on a new digital Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) that will provide a live source of data to support plan- and decision-making moving forward.

GPS Tagging pilot borough breakdown

Unmesh Desai: Please provide a breakdown, by borough, of the number of domestic abuse offenders tagged as part of the GPS Pilot who a) successfully completed their probation and b) were returned to prison for breaching the conditions of their release.

The Mayor: Breakdown of the current GPS domestic abuse pilot caseload by live cases, cases who have successfully completed their period of GPS monitoring on licence or who have been recalled back to prison for non-compliance or increased risk.
Borough
Live
Completed
Recalled
Barking and Dagenham
1
Bexley
1
Brent
1
3
Bromley
1
1
Camden
3
2
Ealing
1
Enfield
2
1
Hackney
1
1
Hammersmith and Fulham
1
Haringey
2
1
Harrow
1
Havering
1
1
Hounslow
1
1
Islington
1
1
Kensington and Chelsea
1
Kingston upon Thames
1
1
Lambeth
3
1
1
Lewisham
6
1
3
Merton
1
Redbridge
2
Southwark
1
2
Sutton
1
Tower Hamlets
1
1
Waltham Forest
1
1
Westminster
1
Totals
20
10
20

Links Between Gang-Related Activity and Mental Health

Caroline Pidgeon: It is essential that mental health support is linked to ongoing work on knife crime prevention and work programmes discouraging young Londoners from joining gangs. Please provide details of how the Violence Reduction Unit is working with the NHS and other health partners in this area.

The Mayor: The Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) and NHS London collaborate through a Quarterly Violence Reduction Steering Group co-chaired by Lib Peck and Dr Martin Griffiths.
A recent example of excellent collaboration was the VRU’s successful bid, supported by NHS London and the London Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ALDCS), to the Home Office and Youth Endowment Fund for the Your Choice programme. This resulted in the award of £10m funding from 2021/22 for three years.
The programme offers the benefits of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy as part of a high intensity intervention to children at greatest risk/need aged 11-17 across all 32 boroughs.
The programme is closely aligned to the NHS £10m Project Vanguard funding over 5 years for a multi-systems violence reduction model.
The London VRU is also working with the NHS on the roll-out of social prescribing across London, as well as investing in hospital-based youth workers.

Public Practice (4)

Sakina Sheikh: Do you have any plans to expand Public Practice further?

The Mayor: I continue to support Public Practice and the GLA continues to be a key partner.
In support of the Recovery Programme, the GLA is working with Public Practice this year to diversify the types of skills available to support recovery with a focus on town centre and economic recovery roles. Specifically, the GLA and London Councils, have been working with Public Practice to recruit 15 roles, 50 per cent funded by LEAP, aligned to the economic recovery missions.
Public Practice is also expanding nationally in the coming year, developing a national network of public sector officers sharing learning and knowledge from the model pioneered in London.

Pride

Leonie Cooper: What discussions has the Mayor had with the Government or Pride, to try and work out a way of allowing it to go ahead in September?

The Mayor: I have always been openly supportive of Pride taking place in London this September. While I was disappointed to learn that the event would not take place for the second year running, it was Pride in London's decision to cancel the event in light of the risk assessments they had conducted. Pride in London's own risk assessments concluded that it would not be possible to implement the mitigations required by the local public health teams and government for a mass participation public event. As such, I respect this decision by Pride in London in order to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and to protect the LGBTQ+ and wider London community.

Food Waste Collection in Barnet

Anne Clarke: What is the latest update on discussions between GLA officers and Barnet Officers on the reintroduction of food waste collection?

The Mayor: In Barnet Council’s Reduction and Recycling Plan (RRP), which I approved in 2019, Barnet committed to reintroducing their food waste collection service by April 2022 and set out a plan with milestones for achieving this.
GLA and Barnet senior officers have recently held a discussion on the timing of the reintroduction of their food waste service in light of the government’s consultation on consistency in recycling, which will require boroughs to implement this service by 2024. My officers are continuing to work with Barnet to set out my expectations that they will reintroduce the service by April 2022 as committed in their RRP.
I am lobbying government to ensure that the implementation of their Waste and Resources Strategy does not inadvertently impede the progress that I have helped secure in terms of increasing the recycling services London’s boroughs provide and thereby increasing recycling rates.

Sunlight/Daylight Standards (2)

Sakina Sheikh: Since the 2016 Housing Supplementary Planning Guidance, can you tell me how many planning applications referred to the GLA meet the BRE’s standards on sunlight and daylight?

The Mayor: The 2016 Housing SPG states that “an appropriate degree of flexibility needs to be applied when using BRE guidelines to assess the daylight and sunlight impacts of new development on surrounding properties, as well as within new developments themselves. Guidelines should be applied sensitively to higher density development, especially in opportunity areas, town centres, large sites and accessible locations, where BRE advice suggests considering the use of alternative targets.” The BRE guidelines have a number of different assessment methods and different parts of a development will vary in compliance with these different assessments. The information provided by these assessments help inform the decisionmaker but are not a simple pass or fail test and thus such monitoring information is not collected by either the GLA or Local Planning Authorities.

Sunlight/Daylight Standards (3)

Sakina Sheikh: Since the 2016 Housing Supplementary Planning Guidance, can you tell me how many planning applications referred to the GLA did not meet the BRE’s standards on sunlight and daylight?

The Mayor: The 2016 Housing SPG states that “an appropriate degree of flexibility needs to be applied when using BRE guidelines to assess the daylight and sunlight impacts of new development on surrounding properties, as well as within new developments themselves. Guidelines should be applied sensitively to higher density development, especially in opportunity areas, town centres, large sites and accessible locations, where BRE advice suggests considering the use of alternative targets.” The BRE guidelines have a number of different assessment methods and different parts of a development will vary in compliance with these different assessments. The information provided by these assessments help inform the decisionmaker but are not a simple pass or fail test and thus such monitoring information is not collected by either the GLA or Local Planning Authorities.

Hybrid Planning Meetings (1)

Sakina Sheikh: Would you encourage councils to lobby for the return of hybrid planning committee meetings to encourage more online participation so more Londoners are aware of the developments in their local area?

The Mayor: Yes, I strongly support any initiative that enables communities to be better involved in the planning process.
My officers in the GLA Planning team have responded to the Government call for evidence on remote meetings supporting the future use of hybrid planning meetings. The response to the call for evidence is available online here.

Hybrid Planning Meetings (2)

Sakina Sheikh: Will you continue with hybrid Stage 3 Call In meetings so that they are more accessible and encourage more participation from Londoners?

The Mayor: Yes. The first hybrid Stage 3 Call in representation hearing was held on the 27th July for the Former Stag Brewery planning application and I intend to continue with hybrid meetings for future representation hearings to enable people to participate in different ways.

Permitted Development Rights Prior Approvals

Sakina Sheikh: What steps are you taking to encourage councils to report on the number of prior approvals they grant for Permitted Development Rights. Perhaps on a quarterly basis?

The Mayor: Details of all prior approval applications and decisions are recorded on the Planning London Datahub. This collects and collates information about the applications as well as developments proposed and permitted.
The DataHub is a collaborative project between all planning authorities in London, more information about it can be found here.
My officers are currently working on unpacking the data so it can help provide more valuable insight into the scope and impact on our city of these rights.

Article 4 Directions

Sakina Sheikh: How have you been lobbying central government not to limit the use of Article 4 Directions, which are vital to protecting our high streets from Permitted Development Rights?

The Mayor: I remain very concerned about the introduction of permitted development rights (PDR) that indiscriminately allow commercial uses to convert to housing, and their potential impacts on London’s high streets, town centres and commercial core, as well as the quality of the housing that they might produce.
I support the use of Article 4 Directions to remove PDR in targeted locations and my officers continue to work closely with boroughs to bring these forward where justified. As part of this, we published a strategic evidence base to support Article 4 Directions in July 2021, which makes clear the importance of our commercial and employment land across the capital and the risks posed by unfettered change of use.
I continue to raise this with the Secretary of State, urging him to provide support for targeted Article 4 Directions to protect our vibrant commercial and business districts, important commercial agglomerations and local services and facilities.

London Green Spaces Commission (1)

Leonie Cooper: The London Green Spaces Commission Report states that, ’we heard of many ways that different organisations can support the future funding and management of parks services, from minor yet highly effective tactical changes to more ambitious goals.’ What were the minor yet highly effective tactical changes shared with the LGSC?

The Mayor: The London Green Space Commission’s call for written evidence, oral evidence sessions and workshops informed the final report. One of the key findings from the evidence was the need to bring other sectors and borough departments together and work across “silos” within boroughs and across borough boundaries.
Contributors gave examples of local projects and changes which had helped with this including hosting walking and cycling programmes in parks, holding arts and culture events in green spaces, working with education teams and Business Improvement Districts. These approaches helped increase understanding of a broader range of funding sources for green spaces, as well as broadening the range of people using the spaces.

London Green Spaces Commission (2)

Leonie Cooper: The Commission report focusses on two practical and deliverable actions but received a wealth of information on good practice from different organisations. How will this evidence of good and best practice be used?

The Mayor: The London Green Space Commission’s call for written evidence, oral evidence sessions, research projects and workshops were summarised in the final report, and informed the final recommendations.
GLA officers, Parks for London and former Commissioners continue to use this information to inform their current work and future programmes. This includes green space skills being included in the Mayor’s Academies Programme hub funding prospectus and in developing programmes for the new green space Centre for Excellence such as the planned programme on health inequalities. Good and best practice is also shared through the London Green Infrastructure Partnership meetings hosted by the GLA.

Londoners and Green Space (1)

Leonie Cooper: How many Londoners Live within ten minutes’ walk of green space?

The Mayor: My Green Infrastructure Focus Map already gives a mapped visual of where the greatest proportions of residents without good access to green space are, based on the existing London Plan thresholds for access to public open spaces.
My officers are currently working with Greenspace Information for Greater London (GiGL) to develop a new model that identifies areas of London that are greater than a typical 10-minute walk from green space so that a similar analysis can be undertaken for this walking distance. The results from this work will be made available later this year so that investment in new and improved green space can be targeted where it is needed most, enabling more Londoners to benefit from and enjoy a greener and more resilient local environment.

Londoners and Green Space (2)

Leonie Cooper: Is the calculation of ten minutes’ walk worked out from the main entrance to buildings with multiple occupants or is the time it takes to travel to the main entrance included in the calculation?

The Mayor: The analysis of proximity of residential units to green spaces relies on address points within the Local Land and Property Gazetteer. These address points are created and maintained by Local Authorities and shared via Ordnance Survey AddressBase. Points typically fall in the middle of the (OS MasterMap) building outline, and points for flats cannot be adjusted according to location within the building.

Guns (2)

Leonie Cooper: In light of the recent attack in Plymouth, has the Mayor discussed with the Met increasing checks on those with a gun licence?

The Mayor: My Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime and the Commissioner have discussed the Metropolitan Police Service’s approach to firearms licensing.
The MPS process for firearms licensing exceeds guidance set by the Home Office and the College of Policing. For example, there is a requirement for all applicants to provide a report from their GP. The MPS also has processes in place to ensure that a review occurs if an existing license holder comes to police notice.

Funding of Social Housing (1)

Sem Moema: What progress has been made to date with the Mayor’s Council Homes for Londoners programme?

The Mayor: My Building Council Homes for Londoners programme was launched in May 2018, making £1bn available in grant funding to support the delivery of 10,000 new council homes across the capital. Councils are on track to meet this target.

Refugees

Leonie Cooper: With the recent events in Afghanistan, what arrangements are being made by Government to support London’s Councils in taking refugees that are fleeing from the country?

The Mayor: The Government has committed £200m to the first year of the Afghanistan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme. The Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) includes £12m for school places, £3m for healthcare access, and £5m for housing costs. The ARAP Integration Support Package also includes £10,500 per person for 12 months, an £850 English to Speakers of Other Languages fund for adults and cash and rent support for the first four months of arrival. This is a start, but I continue to speak with Government to ensure London receives the resources to fully participate in the resettlement of Afghan refugees now and in the future.
I am also committed to working with boroughs and have announced the expansion of my Right to Buy-back fund to help councils buy homes to resettle families arriving from Afghanistan. My team, who lead the London Strategic Migration Partnership, are working closely with borough colleagues to ensure that welcome and support continues through the settlement journey to permanent accommodation.

Guns (1)

Leonie Cooper: In light of the recent attack in Plymouth, can the Mayor tell me how many people in London hold a gun licence, broken down by borough?

The Mayor: There are around 30,000 firearms/shotgun licence holders in the Metropolitan Police area. This number fluctuates regularly as new licenses are granted and old licenses expire or are revoked.
Firearms licenses in England and Wales are managed and administered using the National Firearms Licensing Management System (NFLMS). This system stores details of all licences that are issued by all police forces and ensures that there is an effective integrated system.
NFLMS stores a significant amount of detailed information relating to each licence holder and their licensed weapons. However, this national system does not have a data field to record the local authority area where a holder resides. This means that headline data based on London Borough boundaries cannot be easily retrieved. However, please see attached the available information provided by the MPS broken down by London postcode area.

The Mayor: 3371_Guns (1)_table (1).pdf

Knife crime interventions

Caroline Russell: Redbridge MPS posted on Twitter on 19 July 2021 about a knife crime intervention at a school, with a photograph showing a display box of dangerous knives. Do you believe that displaying knifes to children and posting frightening images on social media deters young people from knife carrying?

The Mayor: The Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) is committed to challenging the existing narrative around violence and recognises as part of this focus there are debates as to whether images of weapons should be used.
Through the VRU national network, best practice and research is shared, so collectively the evidence base to reduce violence is expanding and strengthening. The VRU emphasises that ensuring research in this space listens to the views of young people is critical to understanding what has an impact on their perceptions and behaviours.
New research from Sheffield Hallam University and South Yorkshire’s VRU, plus a study from University College London are due to be completed later this year. The research projects examine the impact of using knife crime imagery in interventions, campaigns and media releases on the perceptions and attitudes of young people. The VRU looks to this research with interest.

Permeable surfaces at London Fire Brigade properties

Zack Polanski: Does the London Fire Brigade (LFB) make use of porous surfaces for large areas of hard standing at fire stations and other properties they own?

The Mayor: The majority of London Fire Brigade stations include a rear drill yard for firefighting training and fire appliance access. The weight of the fire appliances and the use of water in training activities means that drill yards are surfaced with non-porous concrete in most cases. Due to weight restrictions, drainage in drill yards is normally achieved through a substantial underground drainage system designed to cope with high volumes of water.

Thames Barrier Bridge

Siân Berry: The proposed Thames Barrier Bridge could provide a fully accessible walking and cycling connection over the Thames, and provide a much-needed crossing downstream of Tower Bridge which is not dependent on lifts to operate. Do you recognise the need for new crossings, and support this proposal?

The Mayor: As noted in my response to Mayor’s Question 2021/0434, Transport for London is not currently involved in proposals for such a bridge, but would be happy to provide advice to its promoters should they wish to discuss their proposals.

Lorry Driver Training

Tony Devenish: The Road Haulage Association believes there is a 100,000 shortage of lorry drivers in the UK. With wage rates of up to £18.41 an hour and some companies offering £2,000 "golden hellos", will you look at a training scheme in London to ensure long-term unemployed Londoners can access these vacancies?

The Mayor: Through the Helping Londoners into Good Work Mission, I am working with London Councils, Jobcentre Plus and the Sub-Regional Partnerships on a No Wrong Door approach which aims to ensure the capital’s skills and employment system supports Londoners into good training and employment opportunities. This includes identifying local and London-wide demand for employment support to meet recruitment needs. I will continue working with partners to identify where there may be opportunities to better coordinate training opportunities in lorry driving and other roles for the long-term unemployed.
My revised Skills for Londoners Business Partnership membership will also include representation from the Logistics sector. The Partnership helps inform City Hall’s skills programmes and policy development to meet the needs of London’s key sectors and support Londoners into good jobs.

London Green Spaces Commission (3)

Leonie Cooper: Is there scope to support those looking after London’s green spaces by sharing best practice?

The Mayor: The GLA is supporting Parks for London (PfL) to evolve into a Centre for Excellence for London’s green spaces (as outlined in MQ 2021/3379). PfL shares best practice through their annual Good Parks for London report, convening Heads of Parks Service meetings, and action groups focused on key topics raised by park managers.
Extensive resources for green spaces managers can be found on the PfL resources hub and are updated regularly:

London Green Spaces Commission (4)

Leonie Cooper: What progress has been made towards setting up a Centre for Excellence for London’s green spaces?

The Mayor: GLA officers, together with London Councils, the Chief Cultural and Leisure Officers Association and the London Environment Director’s Network continue to work closely with Parks for London (PfL) to enable it to evolve into a Centre for Excellence for London’s green spaces. Three new trustees have already joined PfL’s board, bringing expertise in health, sport and culture, and housing.
The GLA is providing funding to enable PfL to significantly increase its capacity to lead and develop work in the areas as recommended by the Mayor’s London Green Spaces Commission.
As outlined in MQ 2021/3385 an expanded team at the Centre for Excellence willchampion the benefits of green spaces, drive innovation and promote best practice across London. One of the initial projects will be looking at how green spaces can support young people’s mental health.

Summer policing of public spaces

Caroline Russell: Was the way public spaces were policed over the summer months in line with your vision for policing in London?

The Mayor: The MPS has been leading from the front this summer, with positive results. Several successful operations have been launched under a new strategy to reduce violence.
An increased police presence has resulted in a record number of lethal barrelled weapons being removed from our streets.
A joint operation involving officers from across the MPS, including the Violent Crime Taskforce, targeting violence in open spaces, and a major police operation to tackle county lines resulted in 26 vehicle seizures, eight arrests and the recovery of £30,000 worth of stolen goods.
As the MPS steps up its targeted enforcement activity, Londoners have also seen an increased police presence in certain areas of the city this summer. The MPS has had more officers on the streets patrolling open spaces and parks, as well as working to keep our town centres safe throughout the day and night.
City Hall has been backing this enforcement approach by regularly bringing together criminal justice partners to discuss how they can support localised policing tactics. Throughout the summer, the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, my officers and I have been communicating with stakeholders and the community about how these tactics can keep Londoners safe, as well as providing safe places for those vulnerable to violence.
The result of these actions has been that we recently had an August Bank Holiday weekend that was safe and enjoyable for most Londoners. The MPS successfully deployed thousands of police officers to help keep communities safe, responding to crime, disorder and serious disruption related to protests and other events.

MOPAC Support (1)

Sem Moema: Please provide a list of organisations in Hackney, Islington and Waltham Forest that have received support and/or funding from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime.

The Mayor: MOPAC’s annual budgets are allocated to support London wide projects within the Criminal Justice System.
Commissioning services funding in 2021/22 is set at £59.5m for the delivery of Co-commissioned and Pan London services.
MOPAC’s investment in London Borough of Hackney, Islington and Waltham Forest is recognised within the £59.5m mostly through Pan London projects.
Direct awards to the three boroughs in this financial year is noted within MOPAC’s commissioning budget as £584,227 with LB Hackney receiving £594,227, LB Islington £529,048 and LB Waltham Forest £462,197.

Violence Reduction Units (1)

Sem Moema: Please provide a list of organisations in Hackney, Islington and Waltham Forest that have received support and/or funding from the Mayor’s Violence Reduction Unit.

The Mayor: Since its creation the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) has received £35.4m of Mayoral funding, and additional annual allocation from the Home Office.
In 2020 this translated into 126 programmes and projects which supported 80,000 young Londoners.
The VRU’s remit is much wider than just funding and includes developing partnerships; policy advocacy; research into the causes of violence; and funding an innovative programme of investment to test what works.
The VRU has funded a range of organisations working in Hackney, Islington and Waltham Forest including Schools and Pupils Referral Units, hospital-based youth workers, Local Authorities as well as funding a range of Voluntary and Community Sector Organisations, for example, through our parenting and after school provision programmes. The VRU are happy to provide a full list of these organisations.

Police Encounter Panels (2)

Sem Moema: How will the Met ensure that Police Encounter Panels engage with all communities and demographics across London?

The Mayor: To ensure that PEPs are representative of Londoners and can effectively share their lived experiences, the Met is targeting its recruitment on those communities, including young people, most impacted by the use of policing powers. Individual BCUs are working with existing community groups, youth panels and other grassroots organisations across London to engage with all communities and demographics.

Hate crime register

Caroline Russell: Does the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) have a register for hate crime offenders, or are there plans to develop one?

The Mayor: The MPS does not currently have a register for hate crime offenders. However, every hate crime or hate incident is recorded on a crime report. An intelligence report is completed for all suspects arrested or charged with a hate offence or found possessing hate material, and details of any conviction or caution will be recorded on the Police National Computer.
There are currently no plans in development to create a register for hate crime offenders.

Tottenham My Ends

Joanne McCartney: Can you update me on the progress of the Tottenham My Ends Programme?

The Mayor: My Ends is the Violence Reduction Unit’s (VRU) ambitious new place-based fund, investing £6 million into 8 consortiums across London to deliver sustainable, effective responses to violence.
The programme in Haringey brings together The Bridge Renewal Trust, Godwin Lawson Foundation, North London Partnership Consortium, Father 2 Father and Mind in Haringey to deliver activity within the Tottenham Hale ward. This includes supporting young people’s engagement with school; mentoring support; deliveringtrauma-informed support to young people experiencing violence and exploitation; providing pathways to economic opportunity, including life skills and employment-readiness programmes and providing mental health first aid; and delivering trauma-informed training and capacity building to local organisations working with young people.
Work commenced in May 2021 and over the last month the VRU have undertaken visits to most of the My Ends neighbourhoods. These trips have been hugely insightful and inspiring.

Pedestrian Crossing on Archway Road

Joanne McCartney: Is it possible for TfL to install another pedestrian crossing on the Archway Road between Hornsey Lane and Shepherd’s Hill?

The Mayor: There are three existing signalised pedestrian crossings on this stretch of road; one located near Hornsey Gardens; one at Causton Road on the A1 and one at the Shepherds Hill junction. Transport for London (TfL) will investigate the case for introducing another pedestrian crossing facility between Hornsey Lane and Shepherds Hill, subject to the availability of funding.

HGV Driver Shortage

Joanne McCartney: The shortage of HGV drivers in the country is adversely affecting London local councils’ refuse services – waste collection drivers require a HGV licence. Could you look at co-ordinating a London wide HGV recruitment/training and retention scheme?

The Mayor: Brexit and a restrictive immigration system have contributed to the shortage of HGV drivers. Given the urgency and the scale of the challenge the Government should explore all policy levers to ensurethat the immigration system meets our needs. Disappointingly the Government’s ‘shortage occupation list’, which could help to ameliorate such problems,includes barely any of the roles that are now urgently needed in sectors like haulage. This is whyI amlobbying for London to have devolved powers to fill vacanciesin sectors wherethere areacute shortages,including the ability to create a more demand-led regional list of shortage occupations for London.
In parallel, through the Helping Londoners into Good Work Mission, I am working with London Councils, Jobcentre Plus and the Sub-Regional Partnerships on a No Wrong Door approach to ensure the capital’s skills and employment system supports Londoners into good training and employment opportunities. This includes identifying local demand for employment support to meet recruitment needs.
My revised Skills for Londoners Business Partnership membership will also include representation from the Logistics sector. The Partnership helps inform City Hall’s skills programmes and policy development to meet the needs of London’s key sectors and support Londoners into good jobs.

Four Tracking of West Anglia Route

Joanne McCartney: With the delays to Crossrail 2, is it possible for you to explore the possibility of 4-tracking the West Anglia Route to improve transport accessibility and create opportunities in my constituency?

The Mayor: Transport for London’s (TfL’s) view remains that the Crossrail 2 programme, combined with enhancements to other parts of the West Anglia Main Line, is the best way to deliver the long-term transformative improvements TfL and stakeholders want to see on this route. However, with Crossrail 2 currently paused, TfL has been working closely with Network Rail and other industry partners to undertake a study of options to improve the route over the next 10 to 15 years that are complementary to the eventual delivery of Crossrail 2. TfL expects Network Rail to publish the final version of the study soon. This will help inform funders as to options, value for money and possible priorities for further development.
In the short-term, Abellio Greater Anglia continues to roll out its new, higher capacity, rolling stock on the West Anglia route, with full fleet deployment expected to be complete by summer 2022.

Loss of £20 Universal Credit Uplift on Londoners

Joanne McCartney: What impact do you expect the loss of the £20 Universal Credit uplift on Londoners to be?

The Mayor: The £20 uplift to Universal Credit has provided much-needed support to more than a million Londoners during the pandemic. The increase was long overdue, as years of cuts had left benefits well below the genuine cost of living.
Withdrawing the uplift on the last day of the furlough scheme, while there is still unprecedented economic uncertainty and households face rising living costs, will have a devastating impact on Londoners.
Later this month, I will publish research carried out by the University of Essex assessing the effects of the pandemic on financial hardship in London, including projections of the impact of withdrawing the uplift to Universal Credit. The research will show that choosing to maintain the uplift would allow the Government to lift 6.3% of Londoners out of poverty in 2022, with an even greater impact for young people, lone parents, and Black Londoners.

LetsDoLondon

Susan Hall: How much was spent on inflatable eyes and their installation as part of the #LetsDoLondon campaign?

The Mayor: The Eyeconic London Art Trail featuring inflatable eyes formed part of the Let’s Do London Family Fun season.
The inflatable artworks were situated in strategic 'cold spots’ - areas experiencing low footfall - next to and near central London visitor attractions and shopping areas to draw footfall back to these important locations. The total cost spent on the artworks and installation is £90,895.
The Eyeconic London Art Trail was welcomed and supported by boroughs and Business Improvement Districts keen to host the installations.
In its first week, the Eyeconic London Art Trail was the 5th most popular content on the Visit London app. The online trail was viewed by people across the UK, with Londoners making up 19.7 per cent of users and UK domestic users at 80.3 per cent. Media coverage had a total estimated reach of 44 million, including coverage in The Guardian and Daily Telegraph.

MOPAC Support (2)

Sem Moema: For each of the organisations in Hackney, Islington and Waltham Forest that has received funding from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, please set out the level of funding received.

The Mayor: Please see the response to 2021/3467.

British National (Overseas) Visa (1)

Sem Moema: What support is the Greater London Authority providing to Hongkongers with a BNO visa?

The Mayor: The GLA has received £917,000 of funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) as part of an Integration Programme for Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas). Work will focus on establishing capacity in London to support the welcome of new arrivals. This will include a comprehensive engagement exercise to understand the needs of new arrivals, the development of a hub of resources to help Hongkongers navigate the city, and the recruitment of the two new full-time coordinators to continue work to support the needs of Hongkongers in London.
Last month, my Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice, Debbie Weekes-Bernard, met with representatives from the Hong Kong community in London to hear what support they need. My team has also been supporting civil society organisations to network and access new funding opportunities to grow their capacity in London.

Rise in smoking

Onkar Sahota: Cancer Research UK has said that the number of 18 to 34-year-olds who classed themselves as smokers increased by a quarter, from 21.5% to 26.8%, after the first lockdown. Is your health team looking into this and, if so, what work is being done to tackle this rise in London?

The Mayor: I am fully aware of how damaging smoking tobacco can be to our health at any age, how it disproportionately affects those from the poorest communities, and how hard it can be to kick the habit for good.
It is concerning that there has been a rise in young people smoking in the UK during the first lockdown. However, I understand from colleagues at Public Health England from their discussions with researchers at the University College London Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group that this rise has not been seen in London, rather it is concentrated in Central and Northern England.
Nevertheless, I am committed to working with partners in London towards making our city smokefree ahead of the national target of 2030, as set out in the Health and Care Vision for London. We can only achieve this through working with communities, progressive tobacco control policies, and being there for Londoners when they choose to quit.

TfL-funded Cycle Paths

Peter Fortune: Will you provide me with a list of all the London Boroughs that have received funding from TfL to provide cycle paths since May 2016, including details of each cycle path?

The Mayor: Within your question you use the term ‘Cycle Paths’ - I have interpreted this as all types of cycle routes, as opposed to ‘cycle paths’ which is often used to describe off-road cycle provision.
Please see attached list of all cycle routes and schemes funded by TfL across London Boroughs, including project management costs since 2016. Note that this list includes routes that have not yet been delivered – for example, where feasibility designs have not progressed any further due to a lack of stakeholder support or other issues.
NB: This list does not include projects where boroughs have received funding to deliver temporary cycling infrastructure during the pandemic.

The Mayor: 3748 attachment.pdf

British National (Overseas) Visa (2)

Sem Moema: What work is being done by the Mayor to help Hongkongers engage with public information on the British system?

The Mayor: The GLA has received £917,000 of funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) as part of an Integration Programme for Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas).
Work will initially focus on establishing capacity in London to support the welcome of new arrivals. This includes a comprehensive engagement exercise to understand the needs of new arrivals, and the development of a hub of resources to help Hongkongers navigate the city and the recruitment of two new full-time coordinators. This work will create resources, with translated material available, to enable Hongkongers to engage with public information on systems and processes in Britain, including how to access services.
While we develop this more comprehensive resource, a page of translated information and resources pertinent to new arrivals from Hong Kong is already available on London.gov.

London Power

Emma Best: Do you think it is right commercially for your energy company London Power not to have customer number targets?

The Mayor: Energy companies operate in a very volatile market, particularly over the last 18 months with the Covid-19 pandemic driving both record-low and record-high wholesale prices. London Power operates by projecting scenarios for sustainable growth, rather than setting targets. This allows the company to remain flexible and adapt to changing market conditions. As a commercial entity, we do not publish our growth scenarios, as this information is commercially confidential; no other energy company would publish such information.

Trans Access to Healthcare

Emma Best: Given your remit for addressing health inequalities, how have you and will you advocate for improved access to healthcare for the trans community in London?

The Mayor: Health inequalities continue to affect many Londoners, especially in the light of COVID-19. They can substantially increase the risk of poor health, including that of the trans community of whom I am a proud ally.
It is important that the trans community havefairaccess to healthcare that meets their needs. I recognise the difficulties that many trans people have experienced in obtaining such access. While championing the NHS for the excellent work it does, I will continue challenging it to deliver for all Londoners.
As you know, I do not have responsibility for the deliveryofhealth and care services and my role is one of advocacy. However, Iregularly meet withthe leadership ofthe NHS in London andwill continue to raise the issue of trans access to healthcareand the provision of appropriate services.

Drug Harm Reduction Evidence

Emma Best: What evidence have you gathered which shows how best we can reduce the harm that drugs like cannabis cause?

The Mayor: It is vital that we work to reduce substance misuse-related health harms by bolstering treatment and the pathways into those services. For those in contact with the criminal justice system, research has also shown this to be effective in reducing offending behaviour. This is supported by a recent review of Drug Intervention Programmes and subsequent development of recommendations commissioned by MOPAC, as well as the recent Dame Carol Black report. MOPAC and the GLA Health Team are working closely with partners across London to improve pathways from the criminal justice system into treatment.
In November 2020 I published my policing Action Plan and instructed MOPAC to commission independent academic research, using open-source data, to assess the effectiveness of cannabis enforcement in relation to tackling violence in London. The research was put out to tender following publication of the action plan with MOPAC selecting a provider earlier this year. The research has started with delivery of the final report expected in the winter.

London Power

Emma Best: When will Londoners benefit from any profit made by London Power?

The Mayor: London Power was established to offer fair-priced, affordable, green energy for Londoners, not to provide a revenue stream for the GLA. However, we hope that London Power will grow sufficiently within the first 4-year term to cover its annual running costs, though the timing will depend on the speed of customer uptake. We cannot state when we expect this due to commercial confidentiality. Any surplus made above these costs will be reinvested into London’s communities to deliver social and environmental goals.

London Power

Emma Best: How will you help London Power make a profit this year?

The Mayor: London Power is still in the start-up phase, but we hope that we will cover our running costs within the first four-year contract term. We are already delivering fair, affordable, green energy to over 6,000 London households, and hope many more Londoners sign-up over the coming months.
To do this, we are developing a number of innovative new channels to support London Power’s growth. In addition, we continue to work with London boroughs, housing associations and other stakeholders to support ongoing promotion of London Power.

London Power

Emma Best: Do you envisage London Power doubling its current number of customers by the end of the year?

The Mayor: London Power has acquired over 6,000 customers since launching in January 2020. We hope to continue growing London Power’s customer base sustainably.. However, we are currently operating in a very challenging market, with wholesale gas and electricity prices at record levels having doubled over the past year. This high cost environment is likely to affect switching behaviour across the sector this winter, and drive customers towards unsustainably priced “tease and squeeze” style tariffs.

LFB Communication to Firefighters

Anne Clarke: How does the LFB ensure that communication from central command down to firefighters in local watches is clear, concise and consistent, so that all firefighters understand what is expected of them and how changes in policy will impact upon how they do their jobs?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) utilises different internal communication channels to communicate with staff. What channels are used, and when, will depend on what officers need to communicate
The internal communications team advises on the appropriate channels and provides editorial support to ensure messaging is clear, concise and consistent. Channels include Operational News which is a regular newsletter for all operational staff. Topics are identified from audit and review processes and will included updates on new equipment, policy, procedures and health and safety linked to training modules. Station Commanders hold regular face-to-face briefings with their local watches to ensure any changes which impact the way they do their jobs are communicated to them.

LFB and Driver Training

Anne Clarke: Is the LFB currently at full complement for firefighters with the Motor Driver skill? If not how many more firefighters with Motor Driver skills are needed in order to reach full complement?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade’s (LFB) Motor Driving (MD) requirement is 1,952 drivers and there is currently a skills gap of 371. The last 12 months have put pressure on the MD establishment for reasons that include the pandemic, promotions and retirements. An MD working group has been established to resolve these issues. Borough Commanders are also reviewing their establishment and are initially seeking staff to move watches and stations to balance skills.
The Brigade is committed to investing in upskilling staff and from 1 August 2021 is reimbursing the costs of the Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) medical assessment and the LGV theory test. Historically firefighters who are promoted to Leading Firefighter are no longer required to drive appliances. LFB has now reached an interim collective agreement with the Fire Brigades Union London Region that Leading Firefighters who have a valid LGV license can now volunteer to drive appliances.

LFB and PN633

Anne Clarke: What consideration, as recommended by the Health and Safety Advisory Panel (HSAP)recently, has been given to the implications of firefighters going above the bridgehead without breathing apparatus in order to check that dry rising outlets are closed?

The Mayor: Following the recommendation of the Health and Safety Advisory Panel, the risk assessment has been reviewed and updated in relation to checking dry riser main outlets above the bridgehead in buildings behaving in accordance with fire safety provisions.
The procedure is consistent with the Generic Risk Assessment 3.2 (fighting fires in high rise buildings) which has subsequently been incorporated into National Operational Guidance. The principle of going above the bridgehead without Breathing Apparatus (BA) in these circumstances was in the previous high rise firefighting policy, which was issued in 2008. This principle is also reflected in policies across the fire and rescue service sector.
Additional control measures have been included within Policy Number 633 (PN633 - High Rise Firefighting) which only permits this action where there are no signs of the failure of the building’s fire safety systems, and there is no site specific risk information that indicates there are issues with the building’s fire protection measures. Firefighters must also use a Gas Detection Monitor to monitor air conditions.

Let's Do London Outer London

Neil Garratt: How have you supported outer London boroughs with your Let’s Do London campaign this summer? Please provide a list of programmes, events and installations with their cost and borough.

The Mayor: I am working with all boroughs to ensure Let’s Do London promotional and economic benefits are felt right across the capital. Businesses across London can access a free Let’s Do London toolkit to help them promote their events as part of the Let’s Do London campaign.
Central London has been worst hit economically as a result of the decline of visitors, and that is why Let’s Do London’s events are focused on the Central Activities Zone and have supported activity in every central London borough.
Let’s Do London has also included promotion of outer London borough events and activities. For example the Summer Family Fun season included events in Greenwich, Tower Hamlets and the Greenwich and Docklands Festival.

Cycle Infrastructure Design LTN 1/20 Standard (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: When does TfL expect all of the Transport for London Road Network to meet LTN 1/20 infrastructure design standards?

The Mayor: LTN 1/20 Cycle Infrastructure Design guidance is intended to be used to ensure high standards for the delivery of new cycling schemes.
Analysis of the TLRN would suggest that not all sections of the network require dedicated cycling provision, for example on suburban arterial roads where cyclists can be better provided for on parallel roads. As such we would not expect to apply the national cycling design guidance on all of the TLRN.
As set out in LTN 1/20, local authorities and Transport for London (TfL) are responsible for setting design standards for schemes that they implement on their roads. Much of LTN 1/20 was based on TfL’s London Cycling Design Standards and so is largely aligned with our existing guidance already.
TfL and the boroughs benefit from having guidance tailored for the London context, which links with wider London policy documents, including the London Plan. TfL will continue to follow this guidance when delivering new cycling schemes on the Transport for London Road Network.

PEEPS and Keeping Londoners safe (2)

Anne Clarke: How important is advance safety planning, of which PEEPs are a part, in ensuring that the needs of Londoners with disabilities are addressed prior to a building fire?

The Mayor: Fire and building safety are of paramount importance and the needs of all Londoners must be planned for, but in particular those of disabled Londoners who might find it more difficult to safely evacuate a building in the event of an emergency. My London Plan makes provision for inclusive design and safe and dignified evacuation to be considered as part of new development plans. PEEPs are another essential element of ensuring that disabled residents have a plan of what to do in an emergency. I have responded to the government consultation on PEEPs and my response can be found here.

PEEPs and Keeping Londoners safe (1)

Anne Clarke: How lifesaving are Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) in helping LFB support those who need more help with safely evacuating a building?

The Mayor: The Grenfell Tower fire has highlighted the need for PEEPs in residential buildings. Sadly 41 per cent of disabled residents of the Tower died in the fire. I have responded to the recent Government consultation on PEEPs and my response can be found here.
In my response I set out my view that all residents should have a pre-prepared plan available to help facilitate them moving from an area of risk to an area of safety in the event of an emergency. It is important that information is also available to London Fire Brigade so when they attend an incident, they are aware of the manner in which residents will need to evacuate and can support their safe exit from the building.
It is important to stress that PEEPs must not be a substitute for properly designed and safely built buildings, or for properly installed and maintained fire prevention measures. Minimising the need for evacuation is essential.

Woodlands Nursing Home planning application (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: Further to the correspondence released in answer to the freedom of information request submitted to the GLA regarding the Woodlands Nursing Home (ref number: MGLA070421-0125) do you consider that in this planning application, and similar planning applications involving the GLA, there is sufficient transparency about how Section 106 money is allocated and meeting different demands of funding affordable housing and transport infrastructure?

The Mayor: GLA and TfL officers work both collaboratively together and proactively with Local Planning Authorities to ensure appropriate Section 106 planning obligations are secured in respect of referable planning applications. The London Plan sets out my priorities for the use of planning obligations but, given viability requirements, a balance may need to be struck. Ultimately it is for the Local Planning Authority to agree with the applicant the planning obligations and what is funded.
The Woodlands Nursing Home application was referred to me for consideration at stage 1. The stage 1 report identified the financial contributions required for transport infrastructure improvements but because of the appeal it was not referred at stage 2.

Woodlands Nursing Home planning application (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: Further to the correspondence released in answer to the freedom of information request submitted to the GLA regarding the Woodlands Nursing Home (ref number: MGLA070421-0125) was the Planning Inspectorate fully informed of the discussions over the allocation of the Section 106 funding for this proposed development? What guidance do GLA and TfL staff follow in sharing information regarding discussions about the allocation of Section 106 agreements with a Planning Inspector assessing a planning application?

The Mayor: There is no specific guidance but GLA and TfL officers work both collaboratively and proactively with the Local Planning Authority to ensure the appropriate Section 106 planning obligations are secured in respect of referable planning applications. Ultimately it is for the Local Planning Authority to agree with the applicant the planning obligations and what is funded.
The Woodside Nursing Home planning appeal was made by Anthology Kennington Stage Ltd against the London Borough of Lambeth on the basis of a failure to make a decision on a planning application within the prescribed period. The application was referred to me for consideration at stage 1 but because of the appeal it was not referred at stage 2 and the GLA was not involved in the public inquiry. The Local Planning Authority and applicant would provide information on the Section 106 agreement to the Inspector. The Planning Inspector’s report concluded the obligations were all related to requirements of development plan policies and were needed to mitigate the effects of the development, although planning permission was not granted.

TfL clearing of road gullies

Caroline Pidgeon: Please set out the details of Transport for London's current road maintenance contracts for clearing of road gullies. Are there any plans to review the contracts to ensure higher performance? Please also set out the procedures in place to encourage people to report gullies to TfL which are not clear?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) cleans its roadside gullies every two years - with six-monthly cleans for ‘hotspot flooding’ areas - and uses the historical data to update the six-monthly list. It maintains 107 high performance flooding pumps and continues to invest in this network.
TfL continues to review the mobile water pumping stock, including pumping size and locations. Due to these combined efforts, flooding instances causing significant disruption on the TfL Road Network have dropped over the last five years despite an increasing frequency of heavy rain events.
Members of the public are encouraged to report gully issues using the TfL Streetcare webpage (or app) at https://streetcare.tfl.gov.uk/ or by calling TfL on 0343 222 1234.

Brownhill/Torridon Road junction

Caroline Pidgeon: Further to your answer to Question 2021/0084 can you provide an update when much delayed pedestrian improvements to this junction will finally commence?

The Mayor: This scheme is currently in the detailed design stage, with the consultation report due to be published later this year. Works are provisionally programmed to take place in 2022, subject to funding being available.

Kickstart job scheme (1)

Marina Ahmad: Do you have the most-up-to-date figures on how many job placements have been created and filled in London under the Kickstart job scheme so far? If not, can you secure this information?

The Mayor: Regional Kickstart data is currently limited to information being provided by Ministers in answers to Parliamentary Questions.
In an answer to a question asked on 21 July, prior to parliamentary recess, Baroness Stedman-Scott specified that 30,400 Kickstart jobs have been made available in London with 11,110 jobs starting.
However, these figures are likely to overstate numbers in London – as the Minister noted that these figures are based on employer head office location, rather than accurate locations of Kickstart jobs.
I am working closely with Jobcentre Plus, as well as London’s boroughs, sub-regional partnerships and other local partners, to ensure more Londoners get the support they need to find and progress in good jobs through Kickstart and other learning and employment support programmes.

Edmonton Incinerator pollution

Emma Best: The Breathe London website data suggests that air quality in outer London has low levels of both Nitrogen Dioxide and PM2.5 particulates. Will you look to make sure that reports are coming from possible pollution hotspots – such as where polluting plumes from Edmonton Incinerator land - so this can be accurately reported?

The Mayor: Breathe London is just one element of London’s comprehensive air quality monitoring network, and complements the long-standing reference monitoring undertaken by the boroughs with indicative monitoring. The first sensors in the Breathe London network have been installed at hospitals and schools and other priority locations. Future locations will focus on reaching communities that research shows are exposed to poor air quality and lack access to green space, including low-income and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups.
Monitoring should always be adapted to the purpose it serves and the boroughs already have more precise reference equivalent monitors in many of the known hotspots. But for some situations, such as the Edmonton Incinerator, whilst a borough could install additional reference monitoring to allow proper assessment of all pollution sources, it is more effective to monitor at source where any issues can be identified and fixed quickly. Monitoring and control of the Edmonton Incinerator is required through the permit issued and enforced by the Environment Agency.
For more information on Breathe London please see: https://www.breathelondon.org/

Pollution hotspots

Emma Best: In relation to question 2021/2842 please can you confirm when later this year modelling is expected to be completed to advise on the top 10 worst pollution hotspots in London?

The Mayor: The pollution hotspot locations will be based on modelling undertaken as part of the London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (LAEI). The LAEI 2016 is the latest version of the inventory and officers are currently working to update it for 2019. This has been further delayed due to the need to account for uncertainties relating to travel demand in the post COVID-19 era and is now expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Once the 2019 modelling has been completed, forecasts for 2025 can be estimated. These forecasts will inform the identification of the remaining pollution hotspots and are expected to be completed early next year.
A number of factors have increased the complexity of this modelling, meaning it is taking longer to produce than originally expected. These factors include new transport patterns as a result of the pandemic, a cleaner than expected van fleet, rapid growth in electric vehicle uptake and the introduction of on-street changes to encourage walking and cycling.

Unoccupied developments at The Royal Docks

Shaun Bailey: What percentage of completed developments in the Royal Docks area are currently unoccupied?

The Mayor: The Royal Docks contains a very large number of developments which have been completed. These include developments on GLA Land & Property Limited (GLAP) land as well as on privately owned land. There is no record kept of the extent of occupation or vacancy across all the various residential and commercial properties in the Royal Docks whether on GLAP land or third-party land. To do so would involve seeking information from a large number of different organisations about thousands of properties. In general, the Royal Docks has a very good record of attracting residents and businesses to the range of different developments which have been completed.

Completed developments in The Royal Docks

Shaun Bailey: How many housing units in completed developments in the Royal Docks area are currently unoccupied?

The Mayor: The Royal Docks has seen extensive new development of residential property over the past five years. This is including the development sites at Great Eastern Quays (a total of 818 new homes); Royal Albert Wharf (1,038); Brunel Street Works (975); Millet Place (236) and Royal Eden Dock (900). A significant proportion of these are affordable homes. Anecdotal information is that demand has been strong for these homes and there have been no significant reports of under occupation of homes. However, no record is kept by the GLA relating to the occupation of homes.

Missing Children

Shaun Bailey: For each year, Aug 2015 to July 2016, Aug 2016 to July 2017, Aug 2017 to July 2018, Aug 2018 to July 2019, Aug 2019 to July 2020 and Aug 2020 to July 2021 how many missing children have been reported in London broken down by age and ethnicity?

The Mayor: Please see attached the requested information. The supplied notes page should be read in conjunction with the data to aid in interpretation.

The Mayor: 3755_Missing Children.xlsx

Violence Reduction Units (2)

Sem Moema: For each of the organisations in Hackney, Islington and Waltham Forest that has received funding from the Mayor’s Violence Reduction Unit, please set out the level of funding received.

The Mayor: Since its creation the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) has received £35.4m of Mayoral funding, and additional annual allocation from the Home Office.
In 2020 this translated into 126 programmes and projects which supported 80,000 young Londoners.
The VRU’s remit is much wider than just funding and includes developing partnerships; policy advocacy; research into the causes of violence; and funding an innovative programme of investment to test what works.
The VRU has funded a range of organisations working in Hackney, Islington and Waltham Forest including Schools and Pupils Referral Units, hospital-based youth workers, Local Authorities as well as funding a range of Voluntary and Community Sector Organisations, for example, through our parenting and after school provision programmes. The VRU are happy to provide a full list of funding provided to these organisations.

Pride London 2021

Emma Best: Is it a source of regret for you that London was not able to put on a large scale Pride event this summer?

The Mayor: It is truly a shame that we won't be able to come together on the streets of London for Pride for the second year in a row.This annual parade shows the world that London respects, embraces and celebrates its diverse LGBTQ+ community.However, we must be cautious about the spread of COVID-19, even as our city continues to open up, so it is understandable why Pride in London has made this decision. I hope we can celebrate and unite on our streets once again next year.

LGBTQ+ Opportunities

Emma Best: London’s Pride events can be truly life-changing. A safe and welcoming space for young people or those struggling with their identity to grow into their own skin. With no large Pride in London event this year how will you look to provide more opportunities for LGBTQ+ Londoners than usually programmed for those who missed that vital opportunity both this year, and last, to meet, celebrate and feel safe?

The Mayor: We are guided by the LGBTQ+ community in terms of what they think they need as a space in which to meet, celebrate, and feel safe in London, so that is why we fund a community-led organisation to deliver Pride. While I’m sad that we won’t be coming together in the usual way, I know the LGBTQ+ venues across London will be welcoming people through their doors to celebrate in their own way. LGBTQ+ venues are important community spaces for Londoners, providing safe and welcoming places to meet and making a significant contribution to the night-time economy.I’ve been doing all I can to support LGBTQ+ venues throughout the pandemic through my Culture at Risk office and by providing dedicated support and grants through my Culture and Risk Business Support Fund.

London Adverse Childhood Experience Hub

Emma Best: On June 14th the Assembly unanimously passed a motion calling on the Mayor to launch an Adverse Childhood experience hub in London. Will you support this call?

The Mayor: The importance of understanding ACEs cannot be underestimated. We know that the prevalence of four or more ACEs indicates a real vulnerability that can lead to a much greater exposure to violence either as a victim or perpetrator.
The Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) has a clear emphasis on ACEs. It is currently shaping a pilot to support young people who have been affected by domestic violence; it is strengthening the mental health and guidance of parents and carers having listened to their needs; and is investing in school primary programmes to develop healthy relationships as a means of building individual resilience.
It is also working closely with the national network of 17 other VRUs to ensure that research and evidence is being built and shared across specialists from health and education sectors; and the VRU director recently met with the founders of the London ACEs Hub to discuss greater collaboration.

Food Poverty Action Plan Measurables

Emma Best: How has success been measured in each borough which received Mayoral funding for a Food Poverty Action Plan?

The Mayor: I supported ten local authorities to produce food poverty action plans as part of my commitment to tackle food insecurity. Each council developed their plans in conjunction with local partners and residents.
All ten councils have presented their plans to the London Boroughs Food Group, sharing learning and successes with other local authorities and civil society organisations across London. For example, Southwark established a Food Action Alliance to promote actions within their plan including the delivery of universal free school meals and becoming a London Living Wage borough.
The Beyond the Food Bank reports used food poverty action plans as one of ten indicators to measure the progress of councils in tackling food insecurity whilst Sustain’s ‘Response, Resilience and Recovery’ independent report documented their success in laying strong foundations for boroughs to respond to the pandemic’s impact on the food system and recommended all boroughs develop action plans.

Wave Trust

Emma Best: On June 14th the Assembly unanimously passed a motion calling on the Mayor to meet with the WAVE Trust who are campaigning for a 70% reduction to the existing levels of children who undergo Multiple Adverse Childhood experiences by 2030. Will you meet with the WAVE Trust, who have in the meantime reached out to his office without response (currently)?

The Mayor: The importance of understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) cannot be underestimated and the work which the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) is leading on places a strong focus on adopting a public health approach to reducing vulnerabilities.
The VRU works closely with the national network of 17 VRUs to ensure that research and evidence are being built and shared with specialists from across health and education sectors around what works in the area of ACEs as well as later in a young person’s development.
The VRU team has met with the London ACEs Hub already in existence and is keen to do further work with them.
The VRU has also met with WAVE and enjoys a good relationship with the organisation. For some time, the VRU was represented on WAVE’s board by their public health representative.
The VRU is happy to follow up further with the WAVE Trust.

Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic firefighter intake 2016 - present day

Anne Clarke: Please provide a breakdown of the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic firefighter intake from June 2016 - the present day. Please break down by financial quarter, providing the percentage of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people amongst each intake and the number of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people that this equates to.

The Mayor: Please find the information requested below.
Quarter
Percentage the trainee fighters who are Black Asian and Minority Ethnic
Number of trainee firefighters who are Black Asian and Minority Ethnic
2016/17 Q1 (Apr-Jun)
9.1%
1
2016-17 Q2 (Jul-Sept)
29.2%
7
2016-17 Q3
(Oct-Dec)
8.7%
2
2016-17 Q4
(Jan-Mar)
25.5%
12
2017-18 Q1 (Apr-Jun)
17.4%
4
2017-18 Q2 (Jul-Sept)
11.1%
4
2017-18 Q3
(Oct-Dec)
10.2%
6
2017-18 Q4
(Jan-Mar)
23.6%
17
2018-19 Q1 (Apr-Jun)
28.1%
16
2018-19 Q2 (Jul-Sept)
8.5%
7
2018-19 Q3
(Oct-Dec)
4.8%
4
2018-19 Q4
(Jan-Mar)
8.8%
13
2019-20 Q1 (Apr-Jun)
7.7%
7
2019-20 Q2 (Jul-Sept)
9.9%
9
2019-20 Q3
(Oct-Dec)
27.8%
10
2019-20 Q4
(Jan-Mar)
19.3%
11
2020-21 Q1 (Apr-Jun)
30.0%
21
2020-21 Q2 (Jul-Sept)
36.6%
30
2020-21 Q3
(Oct-Dec)
39.2%
20
2020-21 Q4
(Jan-Mar)
23.5%
8
2021-22 Q1 (Apr-Jun)
50.0%
8
2021-22 Q2*
(Jul-Sept)
0.0%
0

Team GB Success

Emma Best: How will you be building on the success of Team GB (with its large London contingent) in Tokyo to promote take-up of Olympic sports across the capital?

The Mayor: I believe passionately in the power of sport to inspire and unite people. It has been wonderful to see the talent on display in Tokyo. I have been immensely proud to see our Team GB and Paralympics GB athletes, which included many London athletes, overcome the hardships of this past 18 months to excel on the world stage.
Elite athletes are very important role models for our young people. It is vital that Olympic sports and their pathways, from recreational to world class, are relatable and accessible. Only then can they attract diverse talent and allow everyone to fulfil their potential.
That’s why the achievements in Tokyo of young Londoners like Kye Whyte and Beth Shriever in BMX, or Thomas Young on the track, are especially inspirational. These young athletes are living proof that in running, in riding a bike – or playing on a skateboard or kicking a football at school – opportunities are there for talent and dedication to shine.
That is why as well as continuing to support the hosting of major sports events in London, I have invested more than £9m to date in community sport initiatives that engage, include and encourage anyone and everyone to take part in activity in their local area. In this way, through participation, volunteering, and competition at all levels, Londoners can improve their health and wellbeing, widen their social connections and enrich their experiences of living in our city.

Afghan Refugees in London

Emma Best: As many Afghan refugees currently arrive to safety at London’s Heathrow Airport; can you detail both the steps you can take or have taken, and reassurances you can seek or have sought to ensure processing, landing and transfers are as efficient and welcoming as possible?

The Mayor: We have worked hard with partners to support the arrivals process through Heathrow and into the Managed Quarantine Service. With only 12 hours prior notice to the first flight arrival, support was provided by the London Ambulance Service, GPs, British Red Cross and other volunteers, social workers, mental health support and Heathrow Travel Care with coordination support from the London Resilience Group.
My officials have worked tirelessly to forge vital links between the voluntary sector and hotels to ensure that basic needs are met and the welcome for Afghans to this great city was as smooth as possible.
My team, who lead the London Strategic Migration Partnership, are working closely with colleagues in London Councils under a newly formed Asylum Task and Finish Group to ensure that welcome and support continues through the settlement journey to permanent accommodation.

LGBT Domestic Abuse (2)

Nicholas Rogers: If available, please provide the number of LGBT Domestic Abuse calls to the Galop helpline from London for the past five years?

The Mayor: We do not fund the LGBT domestic abuse helpline and do not hold this information.

Digital support for older Londoners (3)

Zack Polanski: How will the impact of digital exclusion be considered in updates to your Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy?

The Mayor: The COVID-19 pandemic shone a spotlight on the extent of digital exclusion in our communities and how it denies Londoners who are not digitally connected access to information and guidance; goods and services; connections with other people and learning and work opportunities. I know digital exclusion increases with age.
I am committed to the delivery of the London Recovery Programme’s Digital Access for All mission, which aims to give every Londoner access to good connectivity, basic digital skills and the device or support they need to be online by 2025.
The London Recovery Programme’s cross-cutting principle of recognising and addressing structural inequalities, promoting a fairer, more inclusive London and supporting the most vulnerable Londoners will be applied to this mission, as it is for all the other missions. Thus ensuring that tackling inequalities in digital access is right at its heart.
The next update of my Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, is due next year and my commitment to digital access for all and tackling digital exclusion will be reflected in it.

E-scooter safety measures (5)

Krupesh Hirani: Please could you provide figures for how many e-scooters have been confiscated by the Met in each month of 2021 so far?

The Mayor: The below table shows the number of E-scooters that the Metropolitan Police have confiscated between January and July 2021.
2021
Jan
104
Feb
130
Mar
188
Apr
173
May
352
Jun
1,103
Jul
511
Aug
398
TOTAL
2,561

London Living Wage by age

Marina Ahmad: Can you provide a breakdown of Londoners in receipt of the London Living Wage by age, per year since 2012?

The Mayor: The percentage and number of jobs that are paid below the London Living Wage, broken down by age, is outlined in the below table. This is based on Annual Survey Hours and Earnings data which is only available from 2016 to 2020.
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
Age
No. (000s)
%
No. (000s)
%
No. (000s)
%
No. (000s)
%
No. (000s)
%
18 - 21
75
68.0
91
68.1
94
76.8
97
73.3
98
73.8
22 - 29
171
21.2
187
21.0
189
21.6
193
21.5
207
23.3
30 - 39
146
13.8
163
13.9
171
14.5
165
14.3
163
14.6
40 - 49
148
16.8
143
15.8
156
16.9
155
16.9
146
16.2
50 - 59
119
17.0
127
18.0
129
18.3
110
15.7
98
14.4
60+
69
26.4
64
23.7
68
25.8
51
21.2
44
19.9
Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings

London Living Wage by ethnicity

Marina Ahmad: Can you provide a breakdown of Londoners in receipt of the London Living Wage by ethnicity, per year since 2012?

The Mayor: This information is not collected by the Living Wage Foundation. However, using Annual Survey Hours and Earnings data, combined with the Labour Force Survey, which is available from 2016-2020, the percentage of jobs that are paid below the London Living Wage, broken down by ethnicity, is outlined in the below.
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
White
11.1
10.4
10.7
11.1
10.1
Mixed/ Multiple ethnic groups 2020
18.1
17.2
18.3
16.3
20.0
Indian
18.3
14.4
15.8
16.7
20.8
Pakistani
19.8
25.2
23.1
24.3
16.4
Bangladeshi
26.1
19.9
38.0
35.8
36.7
Chinese
7.3
18.7
8.1
4.3
8.2
Any other Asian background
19.1
19.9
23.5
24.7
20.6
Black/ African/ Caribbean/ Black British
26.8
20.3
25.0
18.0
20.1
Other ethnic
group
29.0
31.3
22.4
23.5
22.6
Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) and Labour Force Survey (LFS). LFS results scaled to ASHE Data.
Note: The data on ethnicity by nine different ethnic groups, when broken down by year and by location as London, were taken from small sample sizes and should therefore be understood as indicative, and not wholly statistically robust.

Green investment

Tony Devenish: How much green investment have you committed to obtaining during your second mayoral term?

The Mayor: My manifesto stated that I will support the City to be the world leading centre for green finance, including setting up a new financing facility to bring more investment into London.
My 1.5°C Action Plan estimated £61bn of investment is needed in infrastructure to get London to net zero. I am currently working with the Green Finance Institute to look at options for what a financing facility could look like and the level of funding it could potentially raise to support my environmental priorities.
In addition to a Finance Facility, I already have a number of mechanisms and programmes that attract green finance including my Mayor’s Energy Efficiency Fund (MEEF) and Funding London that attract finance directly and then my accelerator programmes, the London Plan, and Green New Deal programme that all attract investment to help deliver these climate and environmental related projects. I am also creating an investment platform that will allow investors to fund renewable energy projects that supply energy to the GLA Group via power purchase agreements.

London Living Wage by borough

Marina Ahmad: Can you provide a breakdown of London Living Wage accredited employers by borough, per year since 2012?

The Mayor: The table below provides a breakdown of London Living Wage accredited employers by borough since 2012. This is based on the listed headquarters of each organisation.
Borough
2021 (YTD)
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
Total
Barking & Dagenham
6
1
1
3
1
1
13
Barnet
7
4
2
1
3
1
1
1
2
22
Bexley
2
1
2
5
Brent
8
5
2
5
4
7
4
2
1
38
Bromley
4
3
2
1
1
1
12
Camden
39
39
36
29
24
19
16
24
12
10
248
City of London
37
42
39
24
19
15
17
24
10
15
242
Croydon
12
6
9
7
8
6
3
2
53
Ealing
7
7
6
6
5
9
1
41
Enfield
5
4
1
4
1
2
1
1
19
Greenwich
4
3
4
3
3
24
19
1
61
Hackney
20
38
26
24
17
10
11
10
3
3
162
Hammersmith & Fulham
10
9
5
6
3
2
1
3
1
40
Haringey
9
9
4
6
1
3
1
9
42
Harrow
3
4
1
1
1
10
Havering
1
1
2
Hillingdon
4
1
3
8
Hounslow
3
2
3
2
2
3
2
1
1
19
Islington
25
29
33
34
17
20
14
18
13
12
215
Kensington & Chelsea
6
12
10
4
3
1
4
3
2
2
47
Kingston upon Thames
5
1
2
1
9
Lambeth
25
18
32
17
15
15
8
10
6
4
150
Lewisham
9
13
9
8
10
5
3
2
1
60
Merton
4
4
4
2
3
3
1
1
22
Newham
15
9
7
4
3
2
2
4
46
Redbridge
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
9
Richmond upon Thames
2
5
3
3
3
3
1
20
Southwark
32
28
38
20
23
25
12
20
11
4
213
Sutton
2
1
2
1
1
1
8
Tower Hamlets
14
12
21
21
16
10
14
16
4
9
137
Waltham Forest
9
5
8
6
5
1
2
36
Wandsworth
11
9
8
5
3
3
1
3
43
Westminster
48
41
45
27
32
17
25
25
19
5
284
Source: Living Wage Foundation-held count of Living Wage employers headquartered in London at point of accreditation

London Living Wage by sector

Marina Ahmad: Can you provide a breakdown of London Living Wage accredited employers by sector, per year since 2012?

The Mayor: The table below provides a breakdown of London Living Wage accredited employers by sector since 2012.
Year
Private Sector
Third Sector
Public Sector
2021 (YTD)
265
102
14
2020
254
93
18
2019
236
114
17
2018
161
95
18
2017
127
90
15
2016
111
81
18
2015
97
51
12
2014
80
75
23
2013
37
34
26
2012
23
38
11
Total
1391
773
172
Source: Living Wage Foundation-held count of accredited employers headquartered in London at

London Living Wage by gender

Marina Ahmad: Can you provide a breakdown of Londoners in receipt of the London Living Wage by gender, per year since 2012?

The Mayor: Data on Londoners in receipt of the London Living Wage by gender is not currently collected. However, based on Annual Survey Hours and Earnings data, it is possible to identify the percentage and number of jobs that are paid below the London Living Wage, broken down by gender, is outlined in the below table. This data is available from 2016 to 2020.
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
No. (000s)
%
No. (000s)
%
No. (000s)
%
No. (000s)
%
No. (000s)
%
Men
314
15.5
354
16.3
384
17.2
362
16.4
359
16.7
Women
466
23.7
483
23.3
487
24.1
452
22.6
443
22.5
Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings

London Living Wage by sector

Marina Ahmad: Can you provide a breakdown of the number of Londoners who have received the London Living Wage by sector, per year since 2012?

The Mayor: The table below provides a breakdown of the number of employees for London-based Living Wage accredited employers who have received the London Living Wage by sector since 2012.
Employee numbers are provided to the Living Wage Foundation on an organisation-wide basis, rather than on a site-by-site basis, therefore all numbers may include non-London residents where a Living Wage Employer is headquartered in London but employs staff elsewhere in the UK.
Year
Private Sector
Third Sector
Public Sector
Total employees
*
Uplifted employees**
Total employees*
Uplifted employees
**
Total employees
*
Uplifted employees
**
2021 (YTD)
39300
6800
4100
1000
17300
2900
2020
43000
7200
2900
400
58000
1800
2019
42200
4700
5500
1110
27200
4100
2018
24900
3600
17600
1400
7600
2800
2017
58400
4900
9400
800
7400
1200
2016
47700
13100
6000
600
9700
800
2015
149800
7800
9700
900
11200
500
2014
46100
3000
9200
600
21100
1600
2013
82800
2900
2500
500
57900
4900
2012
48700
6400
5100
100
19300
1900
Source: Living Wage Foundation-held count of employees working for accredited employers headquartered in London at point of accreditation. All numbers were rounded to the nearest 100.
*Total employees represent all staff, including regular third party contracted staff, who work for a Living Wage Employer headquartered in London.
**Uplifted employees represent all staff, including regular third party contracted staff, who work for a Living Wage Employer headquartered in London, and who received a pay rise to the Living Wage at the point of their employer’s accreditation.

Tourism in London (4)

Marina Ahmad: What support is the tourism industry calling for from you as Mayor and from the Government?

The Mayor: I set up the industry-led London Tourism Recovery Board for key partners to develop and implement the Let’s Do London campaign which is the largest domestic tourism campaign London has ever had.
The London Tourism Recovery Board includes business organisations like UK Hospitality and the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions. The Board has informed the aims and performance indicators for the Let’s Do London campaign.
Tourism industry stakeholders are also members of my London Covid Business Forum. The Forum has set out a roadmap to support London’s economic recovery over a 12 month period. Its aims are the safe and full reopening of London’s economy, to rebuild consumer confidence and to enable our retail, hospitality, cultural, leisure and tourism sectors to get back to business.

Tourism in London (3)

Marina Ahmad: What resources has the Government provided to London to support tourism in the capital which has been impacted by the pandemic?

The Mayor: So far, no dedicated resources have been provided by Government to support the recovery of London’s visitor economy.
The Government’s Tourism Recovery Plan published June 2021 acknowledged the importance of London to the UK.
That’s why together with business leaders including UK Hospitality, Association of Leading Visitor Attractions and NightTime Industries Association and representatives from the London Covid Business Forum we have asked the Government to support the Let’s Do London campaign and to support an international campaign. We have yet to receive a response.

Living Wage City

Marina Ahmad: Can you provide an update on actions taken to make London a Living Wage City?

The Mayor: The Making London a Living Wage City Region campaign will be led by the Living Wage Foundation and London Citizens, with my support. I look forward to working closely with employers, local communities, anchor institutions, workers and industry representatives to increase Living Wage uptake in our city, with specific action groups addressing low-pay parts of our economy.
Meanwhile, I continue to actively support the Living Wage campaign. The number of London Living Wage employers has more than doubled to 2,200 since 2016. 89,000 Londoners receive a pay rise each year as a result. The Living Wage is at the heart of my Good Work Standard, as a core requirement for accreditation.
Partnering with Nesta and the Living Wage Foundation, the Mayor's Resilience Fund funded four innovators to develop a platform to help gig workers better understand their pay. The winning organisation, Finmo, are taking this forward over Autumn.
I look forward to announcing the new London Living Wage rate during Living Wage Week.

Let’s Do London

Marina Ahmad: Can you provide an update on the Let’s Do London campaign and how it is has benefitted London’s economy since its introduction?

The Mayor: My Let’s Do London campaign has attracted visitors to the Central Activities Zone, driving footfall, increasing consumer spending and boosting public confidence to support jobs and economic recovery.
Recent survey data shows that those who can recall the campaign are twice as likely to have visited London since launch in May 2021, with two-thirds of this audience having visited since the launch of the campaign. Consumer confidence to visit the capital in the future has also increased, with 9 in 10 people from outside London who recall the campaign intending to London visit within the next year.
Mid-August saw the highest average daytime visitor numbers since 19 July reopening, with weekend visitor levels at 86 per cent of the usual rate and weekdays at 62 per cent. Restaurants spend at weekends is at 90 per cent of 2019.

Angerstein Roundabout (1)

Emma Best: At what stage are TfL plans to redesign the Angerstein Roundabout?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has made trial improvements to the Angerstein Roundabout so that people can cycle through the junction without having to mix with motor traffic, and people walking have a more direct route. These improvements were delivered as part of TfL’s emergency response to the pandemic and include providing new toucan crossings from the A206 and widening the pavement.
Proposals for more transformational changes at the roundabout were included in a public consultation in January 2020 but were put on hold in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic. Feasibility design work on this scheme has only recently restarted. These proposals will be contingent on a decision on how to move forward with the trial scheme currently in use and on the availability of future funding.

Angerstein Roundabout (2)

Emma Best: How soon can residents expect to see improvements to the Angerstein Roundabout?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor’s Question 2021/3664.

Face-to-Face GP Appointments

Emma Best: With reports of some GPs ignoring orders to allow patients face-to-face appointments, and given your remit for addressing health inequalities, how are you working with NHS London and other health partners to boost access to face-to-face appointments in London?

The Mayor: I understand from NHS colleagues that half of all general practice appointments during the pandemic have been delivered in person. Between May and July 2021 the proportion of face-to-face appointments in London has increased, with over 2 million face-to-face appointments provided in June. Public messaging has been issued which explains how patients can safely access healthcare services and the importance of coming forward with any health concerns. A communications toolkit was shared with all practices for consistent messaging. NHS London has worked with commissioners to prioritise support to practices reporting very low levels of face-to-face appointments. Practices are required to respect patient preferences unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary. NHS commissioners will investigate any complaint from a patient that they are being refused face-to-face consultations when there is an identified need.

COVID-19 Booster Vaccination Programme

Emma Best: What actions are you taking to promote and assist the COVID-19 Booster Vaccination programme whilst also working to boost vaccine uptake amongst the unvaccinated?

The Mayor: The NHS is awaiting final guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on COVID-19 boosters and co-administration of the flu vaccine. The Mayor/ GLA will proactively support London-wide communications on the booster programme once the guidance is published.

Retrofitting

Andrew Boff: At a recent Housing Committee meeting we heard that GLA-funded affordable homes may require retrofitting in future. Could you please confirm how many of the homes started since May 2016 that this will apply to, and what the retrofitting costs would be?

The Mayor: The GLA does not typically monitor the energy efficiency of homes funded via the Affordable Homes Programme post-completion. In addition, many of the homes funded through the Mayor’s Affordable Homes Programmes are yet to be built. Therefore, it is not possible to quantify the number of homes requiring future retrofit or the associated costs.
My Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026 introduces a range of new sustainability standards, which reflect London Plan 2021 requirements. Adherence to these standards will mean new affordable homes funded by the Mayor go beyond building regulation requirements, meet the highest environmental standards and will minimise the need for these homes to be retrofitted in the future.
The GLA is also introducing a new post-occupancy evaluation pilot as part of the new Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026, which will require some delivery partners to monitor the energy efficiency of GLA-funded homes post-completion. The London Plan’s Be Seen Energy Monitoring policy also requires new major developments tomonitor energy performancefor five years followingconstruction.

Deaths from Alcohol (1)

Emma Best: Public Health England recently reported a 20% rise in deaths directly caused by drinking alcohol in England during the pandemic. What research have you undertaken to discover the figures for London and how are you working with partners to address this issue?

The Mayor: Increases in death and illness arising from alcohol use are of great concern. While in some respects the situation in London is not as acute as the situation in other areas revealed in the recent report referred to (Monitoring alcohol consumption and harm during the COVID-19 pandemic, Public Health England (PHE), July 2021, Figure 24) it is clear more needs to be done. Partners are already progressing commitments made in the NHS Long Term Plan. For example, the NHS, PHE London and local partners have been working to identify and recommend early adopter sites to receive additional funding to develop their Alcohol Care Teams in 5 hospitals across London. I will continue to support work by national and regional partners which seeks to reduce the harm associated with excessive alcohol consumption.

Deaths from Alcohol (2)

Emma Best: In light of Public Health England recent findings that there was a 20% rise in deaths directly caused by drinking alcohol in England during the pandemic, what work are you undertaking to identify and address the health inequalities related to deaths from drinking alcohol in London?

The Mayor: The recent PHE report Monitoring alcohol consumption and harm during the COVID-19 pandemic referenced in the previous question clearly shows the link between deprivation and the highest rates of alcohol related harm. Our programme to reduce health inequalities and tackle deprivation will help reduce the drivers of alcohol related harm. We will also work with national and regional partners to support alcohol specific work including improving access to treatment and effective licensing and regulation. The partner work programme to further develop hospital-based Alcohol Care Teams, referred to in the previous response, directly contributes to addressing inequalities and reducing the harm caused by alcohol to Londoners with special reference to COVID impact.

Eating Disorder Hospital Admissions

Emma Best: With reports showing there has been a 50% increase in the number of under 20s with eating disorders being admitted to hospitals in England during the pandemic, how are you working with partners in London to address this issue in London’s recovery from the pandemic?

The Mayor: These reports are deeply concerning. We know young Londoners’ mental health and wellbeing is being disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and addressing this is a key priority for London’s Recovery Programme.
This year I invested £70,000 in expanding Good Thinking’s digital mental health support offer to young Londoners. This includesinformation, advice and support for young people, parents and carers affected by an eating disorder. I was proud to launch Good Thinking’s expanded offer earlier this year and will continue to work with partners to promote the resources to Londoners.
In response to the increase in eating disorder referrals, a partnership has been developed between Healthy London Partnership, Beat and children and young people’s mental health Inpatient Provider Collaboratives. As part of this work, eating disorder guidelines for primary care professionals have been updated and endorsed to professionals across London by my health advisor Dr Tom Coffey.

Working Days Lost to Sickness and LFB (2)

Anne Clarke: How is the LFB ensuring that all working environments are safe with suitable disease prevention measures in place?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) continues to follow government guidelines to control the spread of COVID-19 in workplaces. LFB has assessed the risks in their workplaces and during work activities and has implemented proportionate control measures to manage them. Any changes made to workplace risk controls are subject to consultation with trade union safety representatives.

LFB target IP7 (1)

Anne Clarke: What has impacted upon LFB’s ability to reply to consultations within the 14 days expected?

The Mayor: The 14-day performance indicator referred to was a historic internal London Fire Brigade (LFB) indicator. The Brigade is now aligned with the Building Regulations and Fire Safety Procedural Guidance (2020) where 15 working days is advised as a reasonable response time.
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) audited LFB in 2019 and reflected in their report that ‘Building regulation consultation targets aren’t being met because of internal administration delays and a lack of experienced staff’. Steps have been taken to address this finding, which will be subject to further inspection in 2022.
In the last 18 months, new demands have been placed upon Inspecting Officers who normally undertake Building Regulation Consultation (BRC) requests. For example, the required re-inspection of high-rise and high-risk buildings every six months, work relating to buildings with a changed evacuation strategy, as well as triage and inspection of buildings as part of the Building Risk Review.

LFB target IP7 (2)

Anne Clarke: How is LFB adapting its work to ensure that targets are met by the deadline?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) has adapted internal systems to allow for electronic Building Regulation Consultations (BRC) as well as hard copy submissions, which enables information to be accessed and reviewed remotely by Inspecting Officers and reduces delays caused by the postal system. The Brigade is piloting a Building Design and Consultation Hub (BDCH), a centralised specialist team dedicated to carrying out BRCs, which would reduce the time taken to review and respond to these requests. Currently BDCH undertakes BRCs for 14 London Boroughs (which represents six of the fourteen Fire Safety Teams), with planned expansion to redirect all BRCs to this central team, pending future funding.
LFB is also recruiting and training more Fire Safety Advisers, who undertake a new training and development programme via the Centre of Learning and Excellence, providing further resilience required in the Fire Safety department due to the recently increased workload following the Building Risk Review.

LFB and Engaging Young People (4)

Anne Clarke: How will the Fire Cadets scheme be changed in order to ensure that those previously engaged with the LIFE programme are happy to participate with Fire Cadets instead?

The Mayor: LFB has written to all LIFE referral agencies to advise them of the changes to the youth provision and the opportunity that fire cadets now provides for young people they work with.
Fire Cadets learn about the same issues as young people who would have taken a LIFE course over a longer period of engagement. This includes fire safety in the home, road and water safety, the dangers of alcohol and drug misuse, the impact of gang membership and crime, as well as health and fitness. The difference is that Cadets will also engage in a minimum of three, peer-led, social action projects per borough to support their local community. Fire Cadets regularly support London Fire Brigade (LFB)’s community safety team and station-based projects such as open days, car washes and safety awareness days, alongside supporting community projects conducted by local authorities and partnership agencies.

School Engagement and LFB

Anne Clarke: The pandemic caused a significant drop in the numbers of school children reached by the LFB in the 2020/21 financial year. How is the LFB working to re-engage with school children and to ensure that those who may have missed out on fire safety education during the pandemic are not left behind?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB)’s education team reacted quickly to the COVID-19 pandemic and were able to offer virtual online inputs to schools. Going forward, the team has resumed face- to-face visits in schools whilst also offering online inputs so schools have a choice on how they engage. Schools have been regularly contacted during the last 18 months to offer workshops or assembliesand this will continue with the reopening of schools after summer holidays. In addition, a new joint project in secondary schools, ‘Safety First’ was launched in 2020 and is delivered by the blue light collaboration of emergency services - LFB, Metropolitan Police Service and London Ambulance Service. It involves a selection of educational workshops delivered to year 8 classes at secondary schools. The aim for these workshops is to educate young people to the consequences of risky behaviours, reduce anti-social behaviour and make our communities safer for all. Since delivery commenced in January 2021, Safety First has delivered 540 virtual prevention workshops to 3,870 young people in 20 schools.

Working Days Lost to Sickness and LFB (1)

Anne Clarke: What assessment has been made of the challenges facing the LFB in reducing the number of working days lost to sickness?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) recognises that its sickness absence continues to exceed targets set aimed at reducing working days lost to sickness. LFB has found that due to the physical and psychological strain placed on operational staff, many conditions will result in staff being temporarily unfit for full duties. In addition, there have been delays for non-emergency NHS treatment as a result of the pandemic.
LFB has a range of initiatives in place to address these challenges, including a refresh of the Wellbeing Strategy which has agreater focus on promotion and prevention activities around physical, psychological and workplace health to prevent likelihood of future absence. Activities will be driven by sickness and occupational health data in addition to qualitative evidence from staff.

Street markets

Zack Polanski: How much investment has the London Recovery Board High Streets for All mission given to support street markets since the pandemic began in March 2020? Could you break this down by how much was given to which street markets and when?

The Mayor: Several actions are underway to support the recovery of street markets including investment through the London Recovery Board’s High Streets for All challenge and the Tomorrow’s Market business incubation initiative which will support the formation of strategies to enable markets to diversify, secure their long-term sustainability as well as pilot interventions to test and trial new ideas.
Earlier in the summer, I announced 35 exemplar projects to receive £20,000 seed funding of which 15 projects have a street market or market-related element. The High Streets for All challenge is supporting a range of innovative projects across London aimed at ensuring our high streets and street markets can flourish and thrive as we emerge from the pandemic. Later this year, we will make available between £100,000 and £200,000 additional development funding to 10 to 12 of the exemplar projects, to help develop and deliver larger project proposals and strategies.
A full list of funding awards can be found here:
High Streets for All Challenge | London City Hall

Station accessibility in Brent and Harrow Constituency

Krupesh Hirani: I also welcome the response from The Mayor (Reference:2021/3167) confirming the completion of works to make Harrow on the Hill station accessible by the end of 2021. What is the current target date for the completion of the works?

The Mayor: The current target for the completion of step-free access works at Harrow-on-the-Hill station is by the end of 2021. There has been no change to the anticipated delivery date since my previous response to Mayor’s Question 2021/3167.

Waste and Recycling

Tony Devenish: While welcoming Dr Liz Goodwin’s reappointment as ReLondon’s Chair, progress on waste and recycling seems glacial at best, months before COP26, with London still bottom of the class nationally. What will you personally do to support ReLondon to accelerate progress during the next 3 years?

The Mayor: In addition to appointing my representative as Chair I also appoint one independent member to the Board of ReLondon, which is filled by Deputy Mayor Shirley Rodrigues. Together Dr Goodwin and Deputy Mayor Rodrigues will ensure that ReLondon focuses on reducing waste, increasing recycling and helping to tackle the climate emergency through promotion of the circular economy.
ReLondon’s current business plan prioritises funding for the Resource London programme which works with the GLA to support boroughs in delivering their Reduction and Recycling Plans and to produce guidance to help improve waste services, such as recycling in flats. This has meant that London has shown a year on year increase in recycling rates since 2016/2017 (one of only two UK regions to do so) and that some boroughs have shown significant increases such as Lewisham who improved recycling by 6% following the introduction of new services supported by ReLondon.

Sunlight/Daylight Standards (1)

Sakina Sheikh: Since the 2016 Housing Supplementary Planning Guidance, what percentage of planning applications referred to the GLA meet the BRE’s standards on sunlight and daylight?

The Mayor: The 2016 Housing SPG states that “an appropriate degree of flexibility needs to be applied when using BRE guidelines to assess the daylight and sunlight impacts of new development on surrounding properties, as well as within new developments themselves. Guidelines should be applied sensitively to higher density development, especially in opportunity areas, town centres, large sites and accessible locations, where BRE advice suggests considering the use of alternative targets.” The BRE guidelines have a number of different assessment methods and different parts of a development will vary in compliance with these different assessments. The information provided by these assessments help inform the decisionmaker but are not a simple pass or fail test and thus such monitoring information is not collected by either the GLA or Local Planning Authorities.